The Seven Hunters
by The Amazing Rhombus
Summary: A fateful wish causes horrific changes to our favorite seven dinosaurs. What will they do when they are forced to leave all they know behind and live an alien lifestyle in the mysterious beyond? What will they do when the hunted become the hunters? Follow Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, Spike, Chomper, and Ruby in this dark story of death, revenge, redemption, and hope.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I obviously do not own the Land Before Time or any of its characters. This piece of fiction is created purely for non-profit and creative purposes.

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**Hello everyone. You may know me as Rhombus from the Gang of Five forum. I have had an interesting idea for quite a while now: what if our beloved gang were forced to become carnivores? How would they adapt to horrifying changes in diet, alliances, and perspectives? I think that this premise yields many possibilities within the realm of fanfiction, and I have decided to use my first story as an attempt to do that premise justice. **

**Since this is my first attempt at this, I would greatly appreciate any constructive criticism that any of you may have. I view this as a learning experience and I hope that I turn out to be a better writer after all is said and done.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Prologue**

**_It is an indisputable fact that everyone changes throughout their lives. An adult is not the same person that they were during their childhood years. A veteran is not the same person that they were before they went off to war. A butterfly is not the same as the larva it originated from. It is only through our own continuity of experience that we can call ourselves the same person from day to day. This begs the question: are there some events that can push the continuity of experience to its breaking point? If such an event were to occur then who would we become?_**

With the nightly fall of the bright circle, darkness had descended upon the mysterious beyond. Where vibrant green plants and translucent blue waters had greeted the sunlight only hours before, now only darkness and obscure shadows remained. The sights of the land being obscured, and the calls of the inhabitants having gone silent, for the duration of the formidable night. Only the calls of the buzzers and the light of the stars would greet the vigilant observer.

In this darkness, a pair of yellow eyes gazed at the beautifully desolate scene. The eyes belonged to a male rainbowface, whose eyes hinted of unusual knowledge and careful observation. He took in the sights and sounds that would have been lost to the inhabitants of the land in which he now found himself. He observed that the winds have shifted to the north, ensuring that his scent would be safely directed to the bluffs directly behind him and not to the open lands to the south. He observed that the stars are especially clear this night. From this he could easily deduce that the wet season was about to end. He even observed that the calls of the buzzers in the region are changing; indicating that the time of breeding for them was going to soon be at an end.

He was not observant enough, however, to notice the female rainbowface who was standing right behind him.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Chronos?"

Chronos gave a startled yelp and jumped in surprise. "Why did you do that Logos?" He asked indignantly, "I was making very careful observations, which you have interrupted!"

Logos walked out of the shadows and Chronos could see that she had a sarcastic smirk upon her face. "Apparently not careful enough to see me standing right behind you." She retorted, "Although I do suppose that your attention should be focused on the stars tonight."

Both of the rainbowfaces looked contemplatively at the night sky.

"Do you think that it will fall this time?" Chronos asked, "The rock shower will occur soon and the legends say that the stone of fate would one day fall with the long travelling rocks."

"I don't suppose anyone knows." Logos replied, "But if it is to happen during this cycle then it should be occurring soon."

"...And we should be prepared." Chronos finished, "Because if the tales are true about the stone..."

"We will cross that juncture when we get to it. If the tales of the stone are entirely true, then we have a much bigger problem than crackpot flyers and inquisitive children." She affirmed, "If they are not true or if the stone does not fall, however, then this will be a concern of our replacements. That is, unless you expect to be alive to see the next shower of these rocks in several hundred cycles."

"I definitely won't survive that long if you keep on surprising me like that." Chronos replied playfully, before frowning and taking on a more serious expression. "I suppose that we can only hope that either we reach it first or that the ones who find it are wise beyond their years. Otherwise the consequences will be dire."

Logos nodded and then stated: "It is my turn to take over watching the skies. Go ahead and get some rest Chronos." She then muttered to herself, "I have a feeling that we will both need it."

As the rainbowfaces switch roles in order to maintain the vigilant watch over the skies, the rest of the mysterious beyond rested peacefully in the all-encompassing blanket of darkness.

None of its inhabitants could imagine that the morrow would bring changes which would one day affect them all.


	2. Chapter 1

**Au****thors**** Note:** Please note that italics indicate dreams or thoughts.

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**Chapter 1 A longneck's nightmare**

**_"Then stop trying to throw logic at nightmares. Sometimes the monsters are real, Anita. Sometimes they're real and the only way to defeat them is to be the bigger monster. ― Laurell K. Hamilton, Bullet_**

_Littlefoot was beginning to suspect that he was not very good at this game._

_Every single hiding spot that he had selected had proven to be a failure. He had originally chosen a log as his hiding place, only to find that his tail stuck out of the log. After being ferreted out by Spike, he had then attempted to seek refuge in a cave. This refuge was transitory, however, as Ruby soon picked up his trail and chased him into a corner. Most recently he had sought shelter in tall grass, only to have his serenity interrupted by Chomper's playful roar. He was running as fast as his bulky longneck legs could carry him. He most certainly did not want to be "it" again._

_Chomper appeared to be enjoying this chase far more than he was, Littlefoot dryly observed._

_Littlefoot decided to charge into the forested area of the valley in order to lose his pursuer. "I may not be able to outrun him" Littlefoot thought, "But perhaps I could outmaneuver him." Littlefoot then began to zig and zag around the trees. He quickly looked behind him and he saw Chomper begin to fall back. "Heh... This is actually beginning to work" He thought triumphantly. He then turned forward again to see that he has run right into a dead in. A fallen tree, far too large for him to transverse, lay in front of him. To his left lay the fast-flowing stream. "Darn!" He thought, "I guess that I have to go left." He then began to turn in order to access his only possible escape route. _

_That was when he felt a slight pain in his tail._

_"Ow!" Littlefoot yelled, "Okay, okay! I am the chaser again. You don't have to actually nibble at my tail you know."_

_Chomper laughed. "Oh, come on Littlefoot! I was just playing. It isn't my fault that your tail is the easiest thing to grab." He said while licking his lips._

_Littlefoot rolled his eyes and responded "Alright, I guess it is my turn now." He then closed his eyes and began counting to twenty, "One tree star, two tree stars, three tree stars..." Littlefoot heard the scampering of feet and knew that Chomper was busy finding a new hiding space. Littlefoot suppressed a groan at his predicament. It was his turn to be the "sharptooth" again._

_"Nineteen tree stars, twenty tree stars. Alright, here I come!" Littlefoot then opened his eyes and looked in confusion at the scene that confronted him._

_He was surrounded by a desolate landscape. The ground was without vegetation or moisture, being permeated by cracks everywhere that his eyes could see. Not a single tree or bush dotted the landscape, nor would a single drop of water present itself in the landscape. Even the sky was formless, without a sky puffy in sight. It was an impermeable dome of azure blue. This land was the embodiment of death and despair. He was the only living thing that could be seen._

_"W... Where am I?" Littlefoot mouthed out, "How did I get here?"_

_Littlefoot then began to panic. "My friends! My grandparents! Where are they? Are they here?" He then began to call their names in the hope that he can find some of them._

_"Chomper! Ruby! Cera! Spike! Petrie! Ducky!" Littlefoot began to bellow to the silent landscape, "Grandpa! Grandma! Anyone!" The only sounds that reached his ears were the echoes of his own voice. It was as if the land itself was trying to mock him._

_Littlefoot looked down and began to tremble at his predicament. This was impossible. One simply doesn't close their eyes and magically go from one land to another. It simply did not happen. But yet... He was here. He was glad that his friends and family were spared being sent to this barren hellscape, but at the same time he was sad that he was alone. He and his friends had gotten through many seemingly impossible situations together and he would have felt much more confident if they were with him. However, as they were not present, he supposed that he had to get out of this on his own._

_He began to walk through the mysterious desert that surrounded him. With each step, his feet cracked the parched ground. The scorching hot ground threatened to burn his feet and the sensation was nearly unbearable. Littlefoot observed that it reminded him of how the ground acted when they were fleeing the Great Valley after the swarming leaf gobblers had ate all of the tree stars. He had hoped that he and his friends would be spared going through something like that again. Apparently he was not so lucky._

_He advanced through the landscape for an indeterminate amount of time. Littlefoot noted that the bright circle doesn't appear to fall in this place and the night circle doesn't appear. It almost seems like this place is in perpetual daytime. A daytime without sky water or relief of any kind. What sort of madness was this?_

_The landscape did not help his disorientation. The land appeared utterly formless in its lack of valleys or ridges. It was nothing but a flat expanse, with cracks in the ground giving the landscape its only discernible features. _

_Even his sensations did not spare him from this infernal monotony. After many hours of traveling (or had it been days?), the only sensation that his feet could perceive is unbearable heat and aching pain. His mouth and throat were so dry that even if he were to encounter another being in this place, he doubted that he would be able form words with his parched mouth. His eyes were so dry that it felt as if his eyelids were locked into place. His stomach grumbled at the lack of sustenance or moisture. Thirst, hunger, and pain were the only companions that this place provided Littlefoot. _

_After some time, Littlefoot became exhausted by his travels and decided that he could not continue. He fell to the ground in his exhaustion and immediately blacked out. _

_He opened his eyes. How long he had been unconscious was an open question. The landscape has not changed, nor had the bright circle fallen. He cried out in anguish, only to hear someone clear their throat behind him. _

_Littlefoot carefully placed his forelimbs firmly on the ground and struggled to find the strength to lift his hind limbs. "Is this how it feels to die?" Littlefoot thought to himself, "Is this what my mother felt when she could no longer move?" He would have cried if he had any tears left to do so. With a herculean struggle Littlefoot was finally able to get himself back on all four feet. Littlefoot allowed himself a groan of pain and then proceeded to turn around and see the being behind him. He turned his neck and saw..._

_"A fast biter!" Littlefoot screamed._

_Littlefoot attempted to move out of the way, but his legs failed him and he goes tumbling to the ground. Being unable to move and to the point of exhaustion, Littlefoot closed his eyes and awaited the end. At this point he was resigned to his fate. He was just glad that his friends and grandparents were safe in the Great Valley. At least they would live on._

_"Are you so eager to die?" The fast biter asked, "I seldom have a meal offer themselves up so freely."_

_Littlefoot is stunned to hear the fast biter speak to him in leaf-eater. "Y... You can speak?"_

_The fast biter laughs, "Of course I can speak. If I couldn't speak then how could I be able to make you an offer?"_

_Littlefoot was perplexed and simply croaked out: "An offer?" He failed to see what this fast biter could offer him as he was surely soon to perish in this depressing hellscape. Littlefoot had not seen food or water in what felt like ages. Even if he could be given those, his legs refused to serve him any longer. How could a fast biter help him at this point? And why would it want to do so?_

_"I can provide you with all of the food and water that you desire. I can even remove you from this rather lovely scenery." He said with a flamboyant wave of his clawed forelimb, "But you will need to close your eyes and be willing to look upon the world from a new perspective." The fast biter declared. Littlefoot began to question him, but the fast biter stopped him with a sardonic smile and a wave of his paw, "Sorry little one, but no questions. Either yes or no."_

_Littlefoot was thinking that he had little to lose. Even if this fast biter was simply a lunatic, what was the worst that could happen? He was as good as dead at this point anyway. So he gave the only answer that made sense._

_"Yes." Littlefoot replied, and then he closed his eyes._

_Littlefoot couldn't put the sensations that he then felt into words. The best description that he could possibly give is that he simply felt wrong. It was as if his mind was no longer his and his body was no longer under his control. He heard muffled sounds and unique smells, but he couldn't make sense out of any of them. He knew that his body was moving and active, but he could not determine what was happening. His physical eyes may have very well been open, but his "mind's eye" was closed._

_Then he tasted it... Food. Glorious food. He thought that he would never taste its like again. He couldn't tell what he was eating as it wasn't anything that he had ever tasted before. But it filled his insatiable hunger all the same. After several moments of gorging himself on the newfound food, he heard the fast biter's voice again._

_"Now, open your eyes and see your fate."_

_Littlefoot opened his eyes and saw an incomprehensible sight. He was looking into a watering hole and saw that the water was gleaming red. That was not what immediately caught his attention, however. In the red water he saw the reflection of Chomper! He quickly looked around and did not see any sign of Chomper. Where was he?_

_He looked in the watering hole again and moved his head. The head of the reflection also moved. He turned his body and likewise the body of the reflection moved. He then moved his stubby forelimbs and they moved as well. _

_Wait a moment. His stubby forelimbs?_

_He then looked at his own body and saw that he not only had stubby arms, but that he was also standing on two large hind limbs. And he was purple. He was in Chomper's body! How could this be? _

_He was disturbed by this revelation and began back away from the reflection, only to fall over when he tripped over something wet._

_Disoriented, he slowly got up on his... er... Chomper's hind limbs and looked at what he tripped over. The site that greeted him horrified him beyond words._

_He had tripped over the body of what must have once been a young longneck. Large chunks of flesh were missing from its hindquarters and back. Its viscera were now exposed and buzzers had begun to commune at the new food source. Blood saturated the entire scene in a sickening shade of crimson. Its neck was ripped from side to side, which nearly decapitated the unfortunate longneck's head. He then looked up to the longneck's head and blanched when he saw what was left of its face. His face. _

_He was staring at his own corpse!_

_"How? Why?" Littlefoot muttered. He could not comprehend what he had just gone through. What did all of this mean?_

_"I knew that we couldn't trust YOU!" Boomed from a voice from some distance away, "How could you do this Chomper? Betray your own friend!"_

_Littlefoot looked and saw the huge, hulking form of Mr. Threehorn charging in his direction._

_"It wasn't me! I would never..." Littlefoot pitifully spoke._

_"No excuses sharptooth! Now it is time to pay for your crime!" The threehorn boomed._

_The last sight that Littlefoot saw was the massive feet of Mr. Threehorn come crashing towards his face..._

"Ah!" Littlefoot awoke with a startled cry.

He breathed heavily in gasps and looked around him. There was grass, bushes, trees... All of them under the long-absent cloak of nightfall. He also saw the two massive forms of his grandparents beginning to shift around. He was alive? It... It was just a dream!

He took in a relieved breath. "Sigh... It was all just a dream."

"Are you alright Littlefoot?" Littlefoot heard to his side, "Your sleep stories seem to have troubled you."

"I'm... Okay Grandpa." Littlefoot replied, "I am glad that it was just a sleep story." Littlefoot then began to lie down, but he still looked somewhat troubled in his facial expression. Although the visions that he saw were not real, he still was troubled by their uncertain implications. What did these horrific visions mean?

Grandma longneck raised her neck and asked "Would you like to talk about it Littlefoot? Obviously it still troubles you."

"Okay." He replied and then took some time to collect his thoughts. Where could he even begin?

"I was playing Run & Hide with friends when suddenly I was placed in a hot and dry place." He swallowed a bit and continued, "I couldn't find any water or food and I nearly died but a sharptooth made a deal with me to see things from another view." He then looked at his grandparents with frightened eyes, "I was in Chomper's body and he had killed..." He nearly said him, but thought better of it. "Uh... a longneck and Mr. Threehorn went over to trample me." He looked away and shook his head, "It was very scary and it made no sense." He then looked inquisitively at his grandfather, "What could it mean Grandpa?"

"Oh, Littlefoot" Grandpa begins, "Sometimes our sleep stories mean nothing in particular. But sometimes they tell us what our instincts want us to know."

"Instincts," Littlefoot asked inquisitively, "What are those?"

"Instincts tell us what we must do. Instincts tell us when we must save the bright circle. Instincts tell us who we love and how to love them. Instincts tell us what is dangerous to us. That is what instincts are." Grandpa stated, "Do you understand Littlefoot?"

"I think so. Instincts are those feelings that guide us." Littlefoot concluded and he looked for confirmation at his grandfather.

Grandpa nodded at Littlefoot's understanding. "Even I have scary sleep stories from time to time. They help to remind us of what we should be afraid of. Sometimes even the eldest of us need a helpful reminder." He then looked at Littlefoot with a wry smile, "I have had several sleep stories where I have been concerned for your safety. Your adventures in the mysterious beyond have not helped."

Littlefoot looked somewhat guilty and glances down. "What is my sleep story telling me to be afraid of? Surely not Chomper! He is a friendly sharptooth. I was there when he hatched. He would never hurt his friends!"

Grandma questioned "You saw part of the dream from his body, did you not?" To which Littlefoot nods, "Then your instincts are warning you about something that you can't change. Chomper is a sharptooth and he must eat meat in order to live. That is his role in the circle of life and nothing can be done about it."

Littlefoot nodded. "I feel sorry for Chomper in a way. He must have to control his instincts all of the time when he is around us." This caused Grandpa Longneck to shift uneasily and to give a worried look at Grandma.

Littlefoot did not notice the display and he continued, "I am glad that he is a good sharptooth and can keep these instincts under control." He then yawned and closed his eyes again, "Goodnight grandma and grandpa."

"Goodnight little one." The two said in unison. Although neither of them would openly state their anxious thoughts on the matter to their grandson, both of them were thinking the same thing. Chomper is a "good sharptooth" at the moment, but for how long would that last? Littlefoot had finally begun to ask the same question that they had been asking for the last two seasons.

They both hoped that the question would have a good answer.


	3. Chapter 2

******Au****thors**** Note:** Please note that italics indicate dreams or thoughts.

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**Chapter 2 The seven friends**

**_"It's dreadful what little things lead people to misunderstand each other."― L.M. Montgomery, Emily's Quest_**

Much to Littlefoot's relief, he was spared a repeat of the night's dream. Instead he slept until the next morning after a mostly dreamless sleep. The darkness of night matching the inner darkness from his lack of consciousness. As the bright circle lifted in the sky, however, so did the haze of sleep. The darkness of night had yielded to the illumination of the morning. Neither Littlefoot nor the other residents of the valley could have known that a most important day had begun.

Littlefoot opened his eyes and immediately closed them as the bright sunlight assaulted them.

"Time to get up Littlefoot," His grandmother called to him, "The bright circle is rising."

Littlefoot gave a mighty yawn before laying his forelimbs firmly on the ground ahead of him. Stretching, he slowly arose to his full quadruped stance and struggled to keep his eyes open.

"It is morning already?" Littlefoot inquired in a fatigued manner, "I had just fallen asleep."

"It probably seems like that young one, because of your sleep story last night." Grandma advised, "The bad sleep story didn't trouble you further did it Littlefoot?"

"No grandma." Littlefoot replied, "...thank goodness." he then muttered to himself.

"Well then," Grandpa Longneck began, "It is time for breakfast I do believe." He then raised his long neck to a nearby tree and began to shake the highest branches. A torrent of tree stars then began to fall from the sky. His slumber soon forgotten, Littlefoot excitedly approached the downpour of leaves. After the dreams of starvation and misery from the night before, he was more than ready for the first meal of the young day.

Littlefoot then began to devour the tree stars that had fallen. His mouth still full of green food, Littlefoot gave a muffled, "Thanks grandpa!" before continuing his frantic meal.

Grandpa longneck laughed at the display. "Slow down Littlefoot! I don't think that the tree stars are going to run away!" He half-heartedly chided, before continuing his own morning meal with his mate.

At this prompting, Littlefoot slowed down the pace of his meal ever so slightly. Despite his heavy appetite on this morning, Grandpa Longneck had provided a more than sufficient meal for the young sauropod. As a result his hunger was dissipating nearly as quickly as it had arrived.

As his sleepiness lifted and his hunger was being satiated, Littlefoot's mind began to wander as the minds of youngsters so often do. Inevitably, his thoughts turned back to the previous night's sleep story.

_How does Chomper actually feel around us?_ Was one of the most prominent thoughts rolling in the young longneck's mind, _He obviously likes meat, but how strong is that hunger?_ This was something that each member of the gang had confronted in their own minds previously concerning Chomper, and this certainly was not the first time that the thought had entered Littlefoot's mind, but the sleep story had made this particular question stand out very clearly.

This led to the appearance of other questions, most unpleasant questions, which not even Cera in one of her more spiteful moods would dare broach openly. _Did Chomper ever hunt before?_

Littlefoot knew that Chomper had eaten meat before. Obviously, his parents had provided him with the necessities of his kind while he was under their care on the island. But did Chomper ever kill before? Littlefoot did not know if the answer to the question would make him think differently of Chomper or not, as it was a necessity that Chomper would have to begin hunting one day. However, Littlefoot could not wrap his mind around the full implications of such a reality. How difficult would it be to speak leaf-eater, be friends with leaf-eaters, and then to occasionally kill other leaf-eaters? By accepting Chomper when he hatched and teaching him to be friends with leaf-eaters had they actually cursed him with future agony?

Littlefoot noticed the dark turn that his thoughts had taken and quickly shook his head. He would get nowhere asking questions to himself when only Chomper could actually answer them. He resolved that one day he would need to talk to Chomper about such matters. However doing so would be no easy task.

_What am I suppose to say to him? "Hey Chomper, I have a question. Have you ever killed another longneck like me for food? I am sure that would go over well."_ He thought sarcastically. _Or perhaps I should tell him: "How did you sleep Chomper? Oh, that's great. I just had a sleep story where you ate me."_ He concluded with some annoyance at his own train of thought.

Littlefoot looked at the sky and noticed that the bright circle had continued its ascent. He sighed and attempted to clear his mind. He could think about such things later. If he didn't hurry then surely his friends would wonder where he has gone to.

"Thanks for breakfast! I am going to play with my friends." He called to his grandparents.

"Okay, Littlefoot. Have fun and be safe!" Came the usual response.

Littlefoot was then faced with the dilemma of who to find first. The nesting area of Petrie's family was on a high bluff, so Petrie was out of the question. Likewise, the nesting area of the swimmers was the farthest away from where he and his grandparents usually rested, so Spike and Ducky were out. The threehorns were relatively close, but if Mr. Threehorn was in a bad mood...

_I will get Ruby and Chomper first._ Littlefoot resolved in his mind as he bounded into the grassland that would eventually take him to the Secret Caverns. _With Chomper's sniffer we should have no trouble tracking the others down._

Unfortunately for Littlefoot, he did not see the red eyes staring at him from the bushes nearby.

...

Elsewhere in the valley, a family of hadrosaurs was sleeping peacefully in a small clearing beside a gently flowing stream. This was not a normal family of hadrosaurs, however, as it included both a young stegosaurus whom the others considered family and the brave little one who had accepted him so long ago. The gentle swaying of the trees and tranquil flow of the water testified to the serenity of the scene. The abject darkness of the moonless night had subsided into the gradual brightening of dusk and soon the family would awake from their slumber to greet the new day.

However, one of the members awoke early on this day.

Spike grunted and slowly opened his eyes. Not even attempting to stifle an emerging yawn, he blinked a few times and took in the scene around him. It was still dusk, he noted. The earliest rays of the emerging sun were beginning to show themselves over the eastern skies. If Spike were able to see color, he would have noted that the greenish hues of the valley's plants were beginning to become visible out of the colorless cloak of the night. As it was, however, he was taking in the bountiful smells of the waking valley. His well-honed sense of smell, second only to Chomper and Ruby, picked up the symphony of plant smells arising from the westerly winds.

_"Mmmm... Tree sweets and treestars"_ Spike noted out of the confusing tangle of smells.

_"Perhaps I should have an early breakfast today?" _Spike continued_, "I usually take longer to eat than the others, maybe I can get an early start today?"_

Spike took a long look back at his family. Ducky appeared to still be sleeping peacefully. Thinking it best not to disturb her, and carefully avoiding waking his brothers and sisters, Spike made his way out of the nest in search of an early morning meal.

...

Littlefoot continued to advance through the lush valley. He was reflecting upon the huge size of the valley and how long it sometimes took for all of the gang to get together after their morning meals. _Perhaps we should set up a meeting point for all of us?_ He thought to himself. _Although that would probably lead to an argument. Everyone will want it to be close to their nests._ He continued glumly. He and the gang had complained about all of the arguing that the adults did on many occasions, but they could be just as argumentative at times. He immediately thought of Cera when he made that last thought. _And some of us are more argumentative than others!_

Chuckling to himself at that last thought, he turned to follow the stream which would lead him toward the direction of the Secret Caverns. He had seen no sign of Chomper, which was odd as he was usually out searching for breakfast at this time of morning. _Surely, he has gotten up by now. _Littlefoot thought, _Otherwise he is going to have to search for buzzers while the rest of us are playing games!_

He began to move at a brisk pace as the Secret Caverns came into view. However, that was when something caught his attention.

**Crack!**

Littlefoot looked around cautiously. "Hello? Is anyone there?" Not seeing anyone, he shook his head and continued on his way.

However, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. That was when the words from the night before reentered his thoughts.

Instincts. Instincts are those feelings that guide us.

_Right now my instincts are telling me that I am being followed._ Littlefoot thought, _Perhaps I should listen to my instincts and see where they take me._

He looked at some of the bushes to his right and couldn't see anything of interest. Likewise there were no interesting smells or sounds in his immediate vicinity. He then began to turn around to examine the bushes on the other side of him.

**Roar!**

Littlefoot screamed and jumped in the air as he prepared to bolt from the area. How could a sharptooth get into the valley unnoticed? Was his nightmare from the previous night about to come true?

He took a tentative look behind him as he began to run and saw...

"Chomper! That wasn't funny!" Littlefoot exclaimed.

Chomper laughed. "You should have seen the look on your face!"

Littlefoot looked at him disapprovingly. He would have let such a prank slide before, but his recent dream had made him far more apprehensive about such behavior. "I know you were just playing Chomper, but many of the adults would not." Chomper began to look penitent at Littlefoot's reprimand, "Especially if they heard me screaming afterwards. How would Mr. Threehorn have reacted if he saw this?"

Chomper looked frightened for a moment before looking down at the ground.

"I'm sorry Littlefoot. I just wanted to play a prank on you." Chomper looked quite sad at this point. Littlefoot began to regret being so harsh on the little biter. "I didn't mean anything by it." Chomper concluded.

Littlefoot sighed. "I know Chomper, and I am not mad. But you have to be careful. I don't want you to be hurt over a misunderstanding."

Chomper looked to be in better spirits at this point and actually cracked a small smile "Thanks Littlefoot. I guess I have to be more careful."

From a distance, a pair of blue eyes had watched the touching scene. Ruby had left the cave that she and Chomper call home in order to check on the little sharptooth. He was supposed to be under her watch, but he had a tendency to go venturing out before she had an opportunity to rise in the morning. She had finally caught site of Littlefoot heading towards the caverns when she saw a flash of purple behind a bush. She had rolled her eyes at the scene. Chomper was up to his old tricks again. However, Littlefoot's display lifted her spirits somewhat. It was nice to see that someone else had a watchful eye over her charge even when she was not present in order to look over him.

The young oviraptor smiled at the display and began to leave the boulder upon which she had been sitting. It was time to greet her friends.

"Hello, my friends! My friends, hello!" She called and then she looked at Chomper with an unreadable expression, "I have been looking for you everywhere Chomper. What have you been doing?"

Chomper's face went through an amusing display of emotions before he answered, "Uh... I got some breakfast and then I found Littlefoot." He finished with a toothy grin.

Ruby gave a knowing smile and said, "I heard a roar, so I knew that you found something." Chomper's face fell at the realization that he had been caught red-handed by his caregiver. "Make sure that you keep Littlefoot's words in mind Chomper. Remember what happened when we met Rhett? That could have been bad, bad it could have been."

Chomper nodded and said, "Yes, Ruby."

Ruby looked up front the chastised youngling and asked "What are we doing today Littlefoot?"

Littlefoot replied, "I am not sure. You two are the first ones that I have talked to so far. I guess that we should go find the others."

Chomper exclaimed, "I can track them down with my sniffer!" He then spoke boastfully "Nothing escapes from my sniffer."

Littlefoot laughed at his friend's antics and said, "Sounds good Chomper. Lead the way."

...

Spike had decided to follow the stream in search of the tree sweets that had caught his attention earlier. Along the way he munched on the shrubs and branches that he came across. By the time that he had crossed half of the distance to the roaring falls the sun had begun to peak across the horizon, giving rise to a magnificent sunrise that illuminated the entire valley.

Upon briefly admiring the sunrise, Spike noticed a slightly pungent scent to his left. Looking in that direction, he noticed the hulking form of Cera's father, who was talking to someone. Spike was accustomed to finding plants using his sniffer, but locating valley residents was a rather new phenomenon for him.

_"It seems that Chomper's lessons on how to use my sniffer are helping me more than I realized."_ Spike thought, then observing the noticeably annoyed yellow threehorn to his side, _"I see that Cera is awake already."_

It was times like this that Spike wished that he could speak like the others. It was true that Ducky generally understood his motivations, Spike could adequately communicate his emotions, and that he could understand the rest of the gang, but it was annoying to be unable to convey his thoughts in the same manner as the others. Spike supposed that he could communicate his gratefulness to Chomper through some gesture. If Chomper was a leaf-eater then perhaps Spike could offer him some tree sweets to show his appreciation, but of course that was not the sort of thing that Chomper would enjoy...

Spike shook his head. There was no need to think about matters that could not be changed. He decided to proceed onward to the tree sweets that were now clearly in view.

There was a problem, however. Even the lowest tree sweets were far too high for Spike to reach! Perhaps Cera would be kind enough to ram the tree and knock some off for him?

Cera then stormed off from her nesting site without a word. She was obviously upset over something.

_On second thought, perhaps these tree sweets will have to wait for another day._

Spike sighed. He then decided to follow Cera from a distance. He knew that their usual fun and games would be starting soon.

...

Several moments later, with Chomper's assistance, the rest of the gang had been tracked down. They had all congregated near the nesting area of the swimmers and were debating what game to play.

"Well now that we are all here what are we going to play?" Cera asked impatiently.

"I vote for Swimmer and Splasher. Yep, yep, yep." Ducky exclaimed.

Spike gave an affirmative grunt and nodded his approval for that game as well.

"Me don't know. We play that yesterday." Petrie affirmed, "Run and hide instead?"

Murmurs of agreement followed from the gang. It seemed that a consensus had formed on what game to play. Littlefoot groaned silently to himself. Memories of what happened in his sleep story flooding his mind.

Chomper grew quite excited at this idea, "Yes! Can I start as the chaser?"

"Sure, why not." Cera affirmed without enthusiasm. She then looked at Littlefoot who seemed to be off in his own world. He was staring in her direction, but he appeared to be staring at nothing. "What is your problem, Littlefoot?"

Littlefoot snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh? Oh, I just had trouble sleeping last night. Sorry about that."

Littlefoot then joined the others in scattering and finding their own hiding spaces.

Ruby sought out a nearby bush to hide behind. She figured that this would give her a chance to run away in the event that Chomper found her. Cera decided to hide between two trees that were surrounded by high grass. Petrie had the same idea, but instead hid within a hollow in one of the trees. Spike hid in an area of high grass, whereas Ducky hid in a depression by the stream.

Meanwhile, Littlefoot was having some difficulty finding a suitable hiding place. He was being haunted by memories of the sleep story where he had no success finding an effective hiding place.

_Should I hide behind those boulders or find somewhere else?_

"Alright, here I come!" Chomper exclaimed.

Seeing how he was out of time, Littlefoot threw himself behind a fallen log that resided in a nearby forest. He hoped that this hiding spot would have more success than what he experienced in his sleep story.

After shouting out his warning to the six hiders, Chomper opened his eyes.

Chomper absolutely loved this game. In fact, he preferred it to all of the other games that the gang played. If he were to have thought about it, however, he would have had to admit that he greatly preferred being the "chaser" to being the "hider" in the game. The hiding portion was so utterly dull, in his opinion. It was simply a period of time to wait until you could be the chaser again.

Closing his eyes again for a moment, Chomper took in a deep breath. In the process, he took in an impossibly complex symphony of smells. If any of the gang had asked him to describe it at that moment, he would have been at a loss in how to put it into words. The leaf-eater language simply did not have the vocabulary to describe the olfactory beauty that sharpteeth experienced every day.

At the very moment he took in that breath, he smelled the individual scents of every single member of the gang. Some scents were lighter, others stronger, but he could have came back to that very spot hours later and still have been able to identify that the gang had been present there earlier in the day. He could smell the swimmer family some distance away. He could identify each of Ducky's brothers and sisters by age, sex, and emotional state. They were all currently happy, which was not a surprise. He could also smell a multitude of other scents that he had no context for, such as that Mr. Thicknose had a stomach ailment, that the sweet bubbles from a nearby tree were about to become overripe, and the threehorns were about to enter mating season. He could even smell his own scent and the hint of excitement and anticipation that it currently conveyed.

But none of that was relevant right now, because he had a game to play.

He took in a second breath and narrowed his focus to the six odors that represented the gang.

The scents of Littlefoot, Cera, and Ruby were quite strong, whereas the scents of the others were much weaker. He took in another breath and was able to determine that both Littlefoot and Cera were upwind. _Looks like I am going for Cera and Littlefoot this time._ He thought to himself. Chomper noticed that Ruby had gotten quite good about moving downwind of his sniffer. _I guess she had to be cautious in the mysterious beyond. _He concluded. _Fast runners can't exactly rely on the protection of a herd, after all._

He began to trot in the general direction that the scents were emanating from. _Ah, it is great to be hunting again._ He thought to himself, before immediately chiding himself for the thought. _This is only a game. I am not hunting. These are my friends. _He resolved to himself in his head. It disturbed him sometimes how his instincts contradicted his intent. He wondered how the others would feel if they knew how his mind worked. He then pushed those thoughts out of his mind. Nothing could be done about it and besides it was only his actions that mattered. He could easily control his instincts just like he had done in the past.

As he got closer to the two hiders he began to pick up nuances of their scent that he had neglected to notice earlier. Cera had a hint of irritation in her odor. Perhaps she is upset over something? A disagreement with her father, perhaps? Littlefoot, on the other hand, had a rather unusual scent about him. Confusion? Apprehension? _Surely my prank didn't scare him that much!_ Chomper thought to himself. Perhaps I should talk to him later?

He was getting quite close now and he accordingly began to rely more on visual cues. _Okay Chomper, do we see anything out of the ordinary?_ He carefully looked over the scene that lay ahead of him.

To his back and to his left lay a multitude of trees, but since none of those had the tell-tale scent of his two targets, he put those out of his immediate focus. In front of him lay several large trees and grass that rose to around half of his height. To his right lay a stream with a few conspicuous boulders scattered around its edges.

He took a closer look at the grass. It seemed to be flowing with the wind and did not exhibit anything out of the ordinary.

Wait a moment.

Chomper did a double-take and noticed that several of the blades of grass had moved suddenly against the direction of the wind. Taking another breath, he was able to determine whose scent was stronger in that direction.

_Hello Cera!_

Chomper made a toothy grin. The chase was about to begin.

...

_They are being so unfair!_ Cera thought to herself as she lay in her hiding place. _I can't believe that I have to watch Tricia all day tomorrow. Why couldn't they watch her for at least half of the day?_ She fumed.

Cera had long since made peace with the fact that Tria was her step-mother and that she had to watch her half-sister on occasion as she is the eldest sister. But the recent behavior of Tria and her father really put her off. They had never asked her to watch her for an entire day before. That would leave her with no time for her friends!

_Both of them are acting like they have just met, but they have been together for two Cold Times!_ She thought to herself. _What is up with those two?_

She then reflected on the fact that she had not really been focused on the game or any of her friend's discussions today. _I guess that I shouldn't take it out on my friends, but it just makes me so mad!_

Cera sighed.

_How could this day get any worse?_

**Roar!**

...

Cera ran out of the grass and straight into the forested area that was behind Chomper.

Chomper was surprised by her unorthodox escape method and dove after Cera as she approached to his side. However, he just missed touching her leg.

_Darn._ Chomper thought. _This has not started well._

Cera did not gain much of a lead on Chomper, however, as he immediately got up on his two strong hind legs and began to chase after the yellow threehorn. He was not too terribly discouraged by this turn of events. Leaf-eaters were so predictable when they tried to run away.

Cera barreled through the forest, only changing her course when necessary to avoid colliding with a tree.

_This is what I get for not paying attention!_ She fumed to herself.

She looked behind her and found no sign of Chomper. _Good! I lost him._ However, while she did this she was not looking where she was going. Consequently, she did not see the fallen log in front of her.

The sudden crash into his hiding spot sent Littlefoot into a panic. _What was that?_

"Ah!" Cera screamed as she tumbled to the ground.

Cera slowly shook herself off and began to rise from her prone position, when she heard the sound of moving feet.

_Darn it!_ Cera thought. She placed most of her weight on her back limbs and prepared to leap over the log and continue her escape. However, Chomper had other ideas.

_Oh no you don't!_ Chomper thought. He then leaped in order to tag Cera and make her the chaser. As the threehorn began to leap above the log and the little sharptooth began to fly through the air, each misjudged their jumps. As a result, Chomper's forelimb made contact with Cera's tail right before he came crashing into the ground where her body used to be.

"Ow!" Cera exclaimed. "What do you think that you are doing sharptooth?!"

Chomper was slow to get up. The crash into the ground had knocked the air out of him. He slowly shook himself off and began to rise to his full height.

"Huh?" Chomper asked.

"You scratched my tail with your claws!" Cera raged, "Have you forgotten that you're playing a game and not getting dinner?!"

Chomper looked horrified at the small amount of blood on Cera's tail. "It was an accident, I swear!" The little biter affirmed, "I... uh... missed... That is all."

"A likely story." Cera said dismissively.

Littlefoot, upon realizing what had happened, had left his hiding spot.

"Cera, you know Chomper did it by accident!" Littlefoot began.

"Cera! Lunchtime." The booming voice of Mr. Threehorn echoed through the valley. Cera took the opportunity to turn heel and walk away without saying another word.

_But it was an accident..._ Chomper thought to himself. First, his attempt at playing a joke earlier had backfired. Now, his attempt at playing a game had lead to accusations of misconduct. At this point he was even beginning to question his own motivations. _Am I losing control over myself?_

"Chomper, Cera is just mad about the scratch." Littlefoot spoke reassuringly, "It was just an accident, don't feel too bad."

At this point in time, Ruby began to walk through the forest. She was entirely unaware of what had just transpired.

"Chomper, it is time to eat! The time to eat it is! We can start playing again later." Ruby called.

Chomper began to leave the forest in order to search for food. A glum, downtrodden expression rested upon his face.

He passed Ruby without a word, leaving a very confused fast runner and a concerned longneck in his wake.


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note****: **Italics indicate thoughts or dreams.

* * *

**Chapter 3 Fire from the sky**

**_"You speak of destiny as if it was fixed." ― Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass_**

Deep in the Great Valley, there resided several large trees that flowered in the spring. Unlike the treesweet tree, however, these trees had flowers that were unpalatable to the residents, and as a consequence the trees were left largely undisturbed. Nonetheless, these beautiful trees were a magnificent sight from a distance, bestowing the valley with several canopies of crimson petals. It was a jarring transition from the sea of green that represented much of the valley.

A flying buzzer was hovering over one of these flowering trees. The buzzer was a very simple living thing. As a consequence, it did not possess an inner monologue like the dinosaurs, nor did it even have an intricate instinctual understanding of the world around it like the ground sliders (lizards) or fish. It did, however, have certain drives that grounded its behavior.

Right now, its most prominent drive was hunger.

The red petals and yellow stamens of the flowering tree made neural connections fire within the insect's simplistic brain. It needed food and a source of food was present. Accordingly, the action that it was assigned to do was to gather that food.

Its large compound eyes gathered copious amounts of information about the world around it, although only a small fraction of that information was actually processed by its simple brain. It primarily used color and movement to find its way around the world. Color could mean food, whereas movement most often indicated danger. It could see several copies of the red flower it was feeding upon, for instance. It could also see several images of the blue sky that resided above the feeding insect.

It did not see the blur of purple, however, until it was too late.

**Chomp!**

Chomper was preoccupied during his lunchtime "hunting" expedition for buzzers. The events of the morning were haunting his thoughts and making him question his actions.

_I didn't mean to scratch Cera! _ Chomper thought, _But you did enjoy the chase and the catch! _Came another accusing voice from within his mind, _I would never hurt my friends!_ Came his internal retort.

_But I did, didn't I? I scratched Cera and scared Littlefoot. Now Cera is angry with me and Littlefoot seems scared around me._

"What have I done?" Came the mournful question from the little biter. He was now feeling quite guilty over what had happened. He was beginning to question how much self-control he really had.

He then heard the sounds of soft footsteps in the grass. The maker of those footsteps had a very particular gait, which lead to a very quiet walk. Chomper knew from its sound that it must be Ruby.

"Chomper?" Ruby questioned.

Chomper looked up reluctantly. The young sharptooth had a very sad expression on his face and extra moisture in his eyes. His forelimbs, normally held up high with anticipation, were angled down as if burdened by a heavy weight. His posture and body language all told a tale of sadness.

_My goodness he is really depressed! _ Ruby thought, S_urely my scolding earlier didn't do this?_

"What is wrong Chomper?" Ruby asked with an extremely concerned look upon her face, "I have never seen you this sad."

Chomper looked down for a moment and swallowed deeply. Previously restrained with effort, tears now began to flow freely from his eyes.

"I don't know if I should stay here anymore." Chomper replied

Ruby did not know what to make of this statement. "Well, if you are not finding buzzers here, than there are other places in the valley. In the valley there are other places." She replied with some confusion.

"No." Chomper replied, "I don't know if I can stay in the valley anymore."

_Uh oh._ Came the immediate response in Ruby's mind. Her father had given her counsel on how to handle the young sharptooth before she went on her journey to the valley. She remembered it well. It occurred six seasons ago, just before she and Chomper went on their journey to the Great Valley...

...

**Hanging Rock - Six seasons ago:**

"Ruby, we need to talk about Chomper."

"Yes, daddy?" Came her reply.

Ruby's father, Detras, was sitting comfortable at the family nesting area. He was an elderly fast runner with a distinctly purple hue and a kindly demeanor. The fact that he did not currently display that kindness indicated that this was a rather serious matter. This detail was not lost on the young pink fast runner who had just entered the nest.

"You have learned how to speak both leaf-eater and sharptooth," He began "and you have learned how to teach others as your efforts with Chomper have indicated..." He looked sternly at her.

"I know that you did not want me to stay around sharpteeth, but he needed a friend. A friend he needed!" Came her reply, "His only friends were the leaf-eaters that hatched him. He was lonely."

Detras sighed. "I know we have discussed many times, but I still cannot approve of what you did. You put yourself in danger! Even though Chomper would not eat you, his parents would have been a different story!"

"But now they are friendly with us." Ruby replied.

"Yes. But only because he begged them not to eat you." Detras looked indignant. They have had this discussion many times before, but Ruby still defended her actions. She had a loyalty to her that often times overrode her sense of self-preservation. It was a trait that he shared in his youth, which is why he tried to counsel her against this line of thinking. It had very nearly got him killed when he was her age...

"Anyway, that is not what I wanted to talk about today." Detras continued with a more sympathetic tone. "You know how to teach others even when they may be very different from you. This is why you are the one being sent to the valley with Chomper. You are the one who Chomper's parents trust and the best choice to convince the residents of the valley."

Ruby remained silent, listening intensely.

"However, you are my daughter." Detras's voice cracked a bit, "And here I am sending you in danger..." He looked at her intensely with the gleam of moisture in his eyes, "But you are ready, I feel. You have learned the lessons that we have taught you, but there is one more that you need to hear."

He stopped for a moment as if he were collecting his thoughts.

"I wanted to talk to you a bit more about sharpteeth. If you are going to care for and watch Chomper in the valley, then you need to know more about them."

"Yes, daddy." Ruby replied.

"He is friendly now, but he is still young." he stated matter-of-factly with a wave of his forepaw, "And, assuming they don't tell you two to leave beforehand, he will eventually begin to take on the instincts of his kind."

"But, he is a friendly sharptooth! He would not hurt his friends." Ruby replied.

"He would not do it intentionally, Ruby. But as he grows up certain instincts will begin to take hold." Detras said as he looked at his daughter sympathetically, "Just like the egg incident, remember?"

Ruby looked down ashamed.

"I remember the day that you took that egg from those threehorns..." Detras began with a far-away look in his eye.

"I didn't mean to do it!" Ruby exclaimed, "I was trying to get fish, but no fish I could find, and it was there and... and..." She trailed off and shook her head, "I don't know."

"You did it because you were hungry and we hadn't eaten in days." Detras replied, "That little incident nearly got you killed and gave me this scar." Detras shifted to the right to expose the scar on his right flank. "You were very lucky Ruby."

Ruby simply nodded with a defeated look on her face.

"There will be plenty of food in the valley. Plants, fish, and many other things if the stories are true. So you shouldn't go through that experience again." Detras continued, "We fast runners only go through the 'hunger madness' when food is scarce, but with sharpteeth it is different."

Ruby looked at her father with inquisitive eyes, "How so daddy?"

"They always have the hunting instinct in them. Even the young ones like Chomper. Eventually, catching buzzers and fish will not be enough to satisfy the need to chase and hunt." He looked at Ruby, "If that time comes then you will have to lead Chomper back here, so that we can find his parents."

Ruby looked disturbed at this revelation, but nodded nonetheless.

"You have to be careful Ruby. If you can gain acceptance in the Great Valley, then perhaps we can use that goodwill to unite the mysterious beyond and the Great Valley against Red Claw." He spoke affirmatively, "But if you fail at this then we may lose our chance."

Ruby blinked but then quickly nodded, as the full implications of her journey became apparent to her.

...

**Back to the present:**

Ruby looked at Chomper with extreme concern. _I must be very careful here._ She thought to herself. She tried not to be conspicuous as she put more weight on her legs in preparation for running.

Chomper, being lost in his own thoughts, did not notice her change in demeanor.

"Why do you say that Chomper?" She asked cautiously, "Have you been getting enough food? Have enough food you been getting?"

Chomper sighed. "Yes, I have enough food."

Ruby eased her stance. _Well, it is not the 'hunger madness' then._ "Then why do you say that you must leave?" She asked.

"I don't know if my friends trust me anymore." Chomper replied with a cry, "First I scared Littlefoot, then Cera blames me for hurting her tail..."

Ruby then took on a sympathetic look and placed her forelimb on Chomper's back, "Tell me all about it, Chomper. I am sure that your friends still trust you, but I need to know what exactly is wrong first."

Chomper looked hopeful and said "Alright, this is what happened..."

Chomper then explained what had occurred with Cera. Several moments later, at the conclusion of his tale, Ruby nodded as she now understood what had happened. _Not a loss of self-control either, looks like I overreacted earlier._

"Oh, Chomper. It sounds like an accident." Ruby said, "Cera is probably overreacting because something else made her mad."

Chomper looked surprised, "Really?"

Ruby nodded and replied, "Really. But if you have any questions, Chomper, you should talk to me or your friends about them. Do not leave them inside."

The two then embraced. "Thanks Ruby" replied Chomper.

"No problem. That is why I am here." Ruby replied, "Now come on, I think the others are about to start a new game."

...

"Where have you two been?" Cera asked indignantly.

"I had to get lunch, unless you wanted me to play on an empty stomach." Chomper quipped.

"Um... Okay then." Cera began. "What are we going to play now?"

Ruby and Chomper both had a somewhat amused expression at seeing Cera flustered. Littlefoot, meanwhile, was looking more closely at Chomper. _He seems to be in a better mood. Perhaps Ruby had a good talk with him._ Seeing Chomper in better spirits made Littlefoot more at ease. He was quite concerned for Chomper earlier, but had no idea how to broach the questions on his mind to him. In fact, he was afraid that he would have ended up making Chomper feel worse.

Ruby began "Perhaps we could play the pinecone game? We have not played it in a while."

Littlefoot, being eager to avoid Run and Hide for awhile, readily agreed with the proposal, "That sounds good to me."

Spike gave an affirmative grunt, while Ducky nodded her approval as well.

"Me think that sound good." Petrie affirmed from above the gang.

"Alright then, let's all search for a pinecone so that we can get started." Littlefoot declared.

The gang then scattered in search of a properly-sized pinecone. A pinecone that was big enough for each of the gang to throw, but not so large that the smallest of the gang couldn't handle it.

Ducky was searching the ground beside some trees. She then looked up at the tree beside her and found a cone that looked suitable for the game. She stretched as far as her body would stretch, but could not reach the pinecone. She then looked at Spike who was simply staring into the sky with a glazed expression on his face.

_What is Spike doing? There is no pinecone in sky. Nope, nope, nope!_ Ducky thought.

Ducky looked at Spike for a moment before asking, "What are you doing, Spike? There is no pinecone up there. But there is one in this tree. There is, there is."

But then she looked at spot in the sky where Spike was looking.

The sky had erupted into a cascade of vibrant colors. A starburst of crimson filled a portion of the sky, whereas streaks of bright white were racing across the horizon. It was unlike anything that Ducky had ever seen.

"Look! There is a second bright circle! There is! There is!" Ducky exclaimed.

This caused the rest of the gang to stop their search and to look at the sky.

The sight that greeted the gang was unlike any that they had seen. Sure, they had seen falling sky rocks before, and Littlefoot had seen the "Stone of Cold Fire", but this was much different.

The sky was filled with falling rocks which made many hundreds of red streaks in the evening sky. It gave the sky the ominous appearance of blood that unnerved everyone who saw it. Within this aerial sea of crimson, however, there was an even more incomprehensible scene. A massive orb of blue in blue light could be seen in the sky. In its trail was an azure beam of dust, which seemed to divide the entire sky into two.

The orb also seemed to be rapidly increasing in size...

"It's going to hit us!" Chomper yelled in terror.

The gang looked on in horror as the blue orb seemed to get closer and closer. The leaf-eaters huddled to the ground and closed their eyes in fear of the inevitable, whereas Chomper looked on in shock. That was when the massive rock made impact.

Light.

An impossibly bright light was all that Chomper could see for several moments. Its luminescent white hue permeated the entire valley in its unearthly glow. It was as if the bright circle had decided to take residence in the valley. He had to cover his eyes in order to avoid being blinded by the display.

Then the blast wave hit.

A gigantic blast of wind and fury hit the gang. It was unlike anything that they had ever heard or experienced. The ground roared with the ferocity of a thousand sharpteeth, which was immediately followed by an earthshake. The gang was jostled about violently. The echoes of the blast, falling trees, and shaking terrain filled the valley. The screams of panic from the other residents could not be heard over the ongoing cataclysm.

Then, as suddenly as the crash had come, it ended.

"What... was that?" Exclaimed Littlefoot.

He then shook himself off. "Is everyone okay?"

He heard murmurs and grunts from the rest of the gang. It seems that they were bewildered and frightened by what had just transpired, but otherwise they were fine. That was when the shouts of their parents could be heard.

"Cera!" Came a booming voice, "Cera!"

"I am here daddy." Came Cera's reply.

"Littlefoot!"

"I am here Grandpa."

The other parents were congregating around their children as well.

"We were so worried." Grandpa exclaimed, "Never before has such a thing fallen in the valley."

"It fell in the valley?!" Chomper exclaimed.

"Yes, young one. It looks like some have been hurt, but none seriously." Littlefoot's grandfather explained.

The gang all looked at one another with concerned looks. It looked like all of their parents were here and safe, but the idea that some of the other residents of the valley had been hurt did not sit well with them. Silence permeated the scene for a moment.

"Can we go see it?" Littlefoot inquired.

"Not just yet, Littlefoot. We adults need to find out what it is, and if it is dangerous." His grandfather responded.

"That is right!" Came the assured response of Mr. Threehorn, "We need to discuss this immediately."

Mr. Threehorn then made the long bellowing call that indicated an imminent meeting. The children sighed. Now they would have to listen to more arguing from the adults. This did not dampen their excitement however. A wondrous new event had occurred in the valley. With their history of adventures, each of them knew that they would end up seeing the blue orb one way or another...

Meanwhile, the residents of the Great Valley were not the only ones to be surprised by the falling rock...

...

To say that Chronos was excited would be understatement. He and his partner had insisted that the stories of the stone of destiny be investigated before they left the planet, but the consortium had disagreed. _Now who was the laughing stock?_ He thought. _They will be in for a surprise when they come to retrieve us!_

"Did you see that?!" exclaimed Chronos as he looked in the direction of the impact.

"How could I not?" Was the response of Logos, although her voice conveyed wonderment and not sarcasm, "So it begins. We must get to that stone before some poor fool activates it."

She could hardly believe that they were the ones to see the great stone fall. It was a legend in the worlds beyond and now it had proven to be true. This means that it was up to them to ensure that it did not fall into the wrong hands.

"It looked just like how the old stories said." Chronos said in amazement, while looking at the sky in reverence.

She looked at him with a sympathetic look, although his gaze did not meet hers. She was skeptical at his plan when he first proposed to the consortium that they go back to the planet in order to investigate anyway. She was especially displeased when the consortium only agreed when they consented to leave all of their technology behind. The words of the Commissar still rang in her head "You two have done more than enough interfering with other worlds. We must make sure that you two are incapable of doing any more!" The Commissar obviously only agreed because this allowed him to get the two troublemakers out of the way for the foreseeable future.

She had agreed to go, however. For reasons utterly unknown to her she felt drawn to this hopeless idealist, who had the mind of a scientist but the heart of a poet. _We have been here for two cold times... um... cycles. _She thought. _And we have already begun to take on the language and views of the locals. When it is our time to go, will we even want to go back?_ She then thought morosely, _Will our forms even go back? No one has been form-shifted for as long as we have._

She shook her head. Regardless of if they stayed or went, they had a duty to the universe to ensure that the stone of destiny was neutralized. If it were misused then the damage could spread well beyond this planet. They had to keep their wits about them and complete their mission. It did not matter whether they considered it a mission for the home they left behind or for their new home.

Logos approached him and spoke softly, "Dear..."

"Huh?" Chronos responded, "Ah, sorry. We need to hurry don't we?"

"Yes we do." She replied, "We know the general direction of where it fell, but we do not know its location. Undoubtedly, everyone in visual range now knows of its existence."

"The valley that those kids were in was in that direction wasn't it?" Chronos stated.

"That is true, yes." She replied, "Regardless of where it landed, we will have to be quick in our travels. Since the consortium has abandoned us here I suppose we have no choice but to travel by foot."

Chronos nodded at the logic of her words.

"Well then, let's begin with Hanging Rock." He replied, "And work ourselves west."

The two rainbowfaces thus began their journey to retrieve the stone of destiny, or the Stone of Cold Fire as the beings of this planet called it. Both of them hoped that they would reach it before anyone else had a chance to use it.

But as they were soon to find out, fate had a far different idea...


	5. Chapter 4

**Authors Note:** Please note that italics indicate dreams or thoughts.

* * *

**Chapter 4 An auspicious wish**

**_"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen." ― Ralph Waldo Emerson_**

To say that Cera was not looking forward to the meeting would be an understatement.

The bellows from her father had ceased as the residents began to move towards the meeting grounds. The children followed behind their parents as the tedious walk continued to the inevitable destination. The calling of such a meeting was not an uncommon development in the valley. However, Cera knew that a meeting meant that the monotonous thundering of footsteps would soon be replaced with the monotonous rambling of the valley's adults.

She was bored already.

To an outside observer she may have seemed incapable of serious introspection, but this would have been a gross misinterpretation of the young threehorn. She had been taught long ago that there was no benefit in showing your uncertainties and insecurities openly to others. Only assertiveness and certainty counted in threehorn society. Acting otherwise was simply unheard of. Nonetheless, she did occasionally go on flights of introspection when she was uncertain about things.

This was certainly one of those times.

With both uncertainty and boredom plaguing her mind, she decided to take the opportunity to look back at her friends and to consider the events of the day.

She looked behind her and immediately saw Ruby and Chomper, who were advancing very closely to their friends. They were noticeably keeping their distance from the some of the other adults. Although she had questioned Chomper many times before on account of his ancestry, some part of Cera found it sad that the two felt the need to keep their distance from others. _Why do they still not trust him? He has been well behaved for over six seasons. _She then bowed her head a bit. The hypocrisy of her accusing Chomper of letting his instincts go and criticizing others for doing the same became quite apparent to her. _Well, he knew that I was just mad. Right?_

She knew better than most dinosaurs about the danger that sharpteeth represented. Her mother and sisters had met their end at the claws of sharpteeth and she and her friends barely escaped from sharpteeth during their first journey to the valley and on their subsequent adventures. In fact, she was the most skeptical of the gang after Chomper hatched. _His attempt to have my tail as an appetizer didn't help my mood!_ She thought reminiscently. She also was skeptical of his motivations during their time on the island and berated Littlefoot for being so open to Chomper's overtures. However, Chomper had shown his ability to keep his drives under control while in the valley and until that began to slip she would not seriously doubt him.

Cera sighed. She needed think about something else before the confusing jumble of emotions she felt made her any more uncertain. She decided to shift her focus to her other friends.

Littlefoot was the obvious next choice, as he was following close behind his grandparents. His grandparents' thundering steps and hulking forms made them the most conspicuous sight in the huddling of adults. Although she would never admit it to him except in rare moments of weakness, she did consider him her best friend. This was in spite of him being hopelessly idealistic, sickeningly cheerful, and unreasonably open to laughable ideas. He was her opposite in many ways. _Okay. _She admitted to herself, _I suppose that is one of the reasons why he is my best friend._

He had been acting quite weird today, although she couldn't quite put her paw on it. He had said something about not sleeping well, but that did not tell her much. _Perhaps his sleep stories are telling him to save the sun again?_ _Or perhaps he had a sleep story about that falling rock? If he did see this coming and didn't tell us then he will get it!_

_Hmph! I suppose whatever it is will work itself out eventually._

She looked over to Spike and Ducky. Ducky was too innocent for her own good in her opinion. _I even had to teach her how to express anger, sheesh!_ Despite that they had opened up a great rapport between one another. Ducky seemed to be incapable of anything underhanded, which made her one of the most trustworthy dinosaurs that Cera knew. This was a pleasant change from the continuous dominance play that guided the threehorn social order.

Cera then noticed that Spike had fallen back and was eating a nearby bush. Ducky had also noticed this and was ushering him back towards the adults. _Sigh. Sometimes I wonder if he is hopeless or whether he has the right idea. I certainly wouldn't mind being off in my own world during with these meetings._ She ruminated on the matter for a bit longer. _I wonder what goes on in that head of his._ Spike, being mute and with a far different thought process than the rest of the gang, was in many ways an enigma. _Well I know that he is my friend, I suppose that is enough._

She then noticed that she could not see Petrie. _I guess that he and the other flyers have already flown to the meeting grounds. One of the advantages of flying, I suppose._ Although she would never admit to Petrie that the flyers had an advantage over her.

Cera then decided to look in Chomper's direction once again. The little sharptooth briefly joined her gaze, acknowledged her by giving a slight nod, before going back to an unreadable expression and averting his gaze. His reaction made Cera feel a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She gave an exhausted sigh. _I guess I overreacted back there. _She admitted to herself reluctantly. She would not admit this directly to Chomper, as that would indicate weakness. Weakness caused far more problems than assertiveness is what her father always told her. Nonetheless, she hoped that Chomper didn't take it personally.

She then looked at her father and Tria. Her father was strutting towards the meeting place with the confidence that would be expected of a threehorn of his standing, whereas Tria looked upon him with admiring eyes. _Yuk! It makes me want to gag!_ Cera thought. She had no idea why they were acting this way lately, but she found it annoying. She was also still fuming about watching Tricia all-day tomorrow, although she was not as irate as she was earlier. She was more annoyed than anything at this point.

Tria appeared to notice Cera's preoccupied expression and inquired "Are you alright dear?"

Cera was surprised by the question but, prideful as always, replied "Huh? I am fine. I am just a little tired."

Tria gave her a disbelieving expression, but simply replied "Of course dear. But I am here if you ever need to talk."

Cera was taken aback by this response and simply said "Um... thanks."

Cera then looked at the scene around her and realized that they had arrived at the valley's meeting place. The adults were beginning to gather in a semicircle with Littlefoot's grandparents and her father near the most central point of the meeting place. The young flyers had taken upon themselves to perch on the longnecks. However, the adult flyers were nowhere to be seen.

_I thought that they were already here. _Cera thought. _Where are they?_

She then noticed movement in the sky at the horizon. _There they are. What took them so long?_ She then watched as Petrie's mother and a few other flyers landed on the meeting grounds.

Littlefoot's grandfather was the first to speak. "It looks like that everyone is here. I guess that we can get the meeting started."

There were murmurs and elevated voices in the assembled crowd, but no one voice rose to prominence. The meeting had lasted for all of a few seconds and already it was out or order.

Cera's father attempted to restore order. "One at a time! One at a time!" Seeing that this wasn't working he resorted to a more forceful approach. "ENOUGH!" Finally the meeting became silent.

Littlefoot's grandfather was actually relieved at the outburst for once. "Thank you." He said to Mr. Threehorn, before attempting to bring the meeting back on course.

"As everyone knows, a flying rock has crashed into our valley." He began. Murmurs arose from the crowd, but they were more subdued this time around. "Flying rocks are not unheard of, but this is a new experience for us." Murmurs of agreement arose from the crowd.

Mr. Threehorn then spoke. "The flyers were kind enough to examine the rock from the sky. What did you all see?"

_Ah!_ Cera thought. _So that is what the adult flyers were up to._

Petrie's mother stepped forward amongst the four adult flyers.

Littlefoot's grandfather then acknowledged her by name. "Yes, Volant? Were you able to see the rock?"

"Yes, Mr. Longneck. We passed over many fallen trees, but finally we came across a large crevice, almost like an empty stream." Murmurs began to arise from the crowd. "At the end of the crevice there was a small blue stone."

"A blue stone?" Excitedly exclaimed one of the hadrosaurs.

"Yes. It shined as if it had a small bright circle within it." Volant replied.

The crowd began to react excitedly at this news. Within seconds, not a single coherent word could be heard on account of the noise.

Cera meanwhile had begun to set on her haunches and look upon the scene with disdain. _Eurgh! Will these people ever shut up? Not even Tricia is this bad!_

"SILENCE!" Mr. Threehorn called out again and the crowd fell silent.

_Thank goodness._ Cera thought.

"I say that it is just a stone. Nothing more, nothing less." He began with a dismissive tone, "We were just unlucky enough to have it land in the valley this time."

The volume of the adults picked up again as Littlefoot's grandfather spoke. "I would tend to agree. It may be a unique stone, but it is a stone nonetheless."

_Wow, those two are actually agreeing on something. What's next? Are swimmers going to fly? _Cera thought sarcastically.

A domehead spoke up in the crowd. "But... Couldn't this be the Stone of Cold Fire?"

The volume of the crowd rose further still.

Mr. Thicknose spoke up. "Well, it does match the description."

The crowd was hysterical now and even Mr. Threehorn knew that yelling wouldn't resolve that problem.

"Please calm down everyone." Littlefoot's grandfather pleaded, "We have no proof that this is that stone or if the Stone of Cold fire even existed in the first place."

"Yes, what the longneck said." Mr. Threehorn affirmed. "In any case panicking isn't going to solve anything."

"But..." Another hadrosaur spoke up, "If it is that stone then it has enormous power."

"It could grant our wishes!" Another resident spoke up. "It would spell doom for us all." Said another.

"Utter nonsense!" Came Mr. Threehorn's reply. "We are beginning to sound as crazy as Pterano and his friends were."

Over the commotion in the crowd, Cera could hear Petrie protest at the insult towards his uncle.

_Sigh. Still defending his uncle even after all that he has done. _Cera thought.

The meeting then disintegrated into those who wanted to destroy the stone, those who wanted to use the stone, and those who did not care about the stone. But Cera had heard enough.

She looked over in Littlefoot's direction and saw that he was gesturing at her with his neck. He had snuck off behind his grandparents while they were preoccupied with the meeting. _Ah. It seems that we both have the same idea. Well, great minds think alike._

She nodded and then looked at the others. Ruby and Chomper were already heading in the direction that Littlefoot was gesturing, as they had no "parents" in the valley to keep watch over them. Ducky and Spike were oblivious, however, as was Petrie.

As she pivoted away from her two guardians, Cera gestured with her head in Littlefoot's direction. Ducky noticed this and directed Spike's attention away from the bush he was eating. They then began to walk towards Littlefoot. Cera shook her head and looked at Petrie, which redirected Ducky's attention. He was still incensed at the insult towards his uncle and was focused on glaring at Mr. Threehorn. Ducky then snuck behind Petrie, who was on the other side of his mother from his siblings, and grabbed him in a tight hug. _Real subtle Ducky. _Cera thought sardonically. Luckily, however, the adults were again questioning Petrie's mom on the stone so she did not notice Petrie's sudden abduction.

Safely away from where their parents were looking, the children then advanced quietly through the underbrush. Regardless of the opinions of their parents on the matter, they had a stone to find.

...

Despite the gang's desire to seek out the stone, Ducky was quite concerned.

_What if the stone is cursed like the swimmer said? Will that make us curesed-ed too?_

Spike noticed his sister's concerned face and made an inquisitive grunt.

"Hmm? Oh, I am okay Spike. I am, I am! I am just worried about the stone." She replied, "Some of the adults make it sound very scary!"

"Oh, Mr. Thicknose and those others don't know what they are talking about." Cera replied disdainfully, "It is just a stone, like my dad said."

"My grandpa said the same thing, but I am not sure." Littlefoot replied, with an apprehensive look on his face.

"Well, we are not going to figure out anything arguing about it. Cera replied, "Let's see for ourselves."

The others nodded, although Ducky did so reluctantly.

Petrie meanwhile was perched upon Littlefoot's head and was preoccupied by his thoughts. _What if this be stone that uncle wanted? Would that make stone good or bad? Me don't want bad things to happen._

He was also upset over how Mr. Threehorn treated his uncle. _Uncle Pterano not bad, he just make mistakes. Just because he wrong about some things, does not mean he wrong about Stone of Cold Fire._ His thoughts continued along these lines. _Hmrph! Why does Mr. Threehorn have to be so mean!_

In his distraction, he did not hear the young longneck call his name.

"Petrie!" Petrie heard suddenly.

"Huh? You talk to Petrie?" Petrie questioned.

"Yeah, I called your name four times!" Littlefoot replied.

"Me sorry. Me thinking." Petrie responded honestly.

"Well, I was wondering if you could look ahead." Littlefoot continued, "That way we could go the right direction. We want to get there and be back before our folks notice we are gone."

"But... What if more rocks fall while Petrie in sky?" Petrie questioned.

"Then you will be no worse off than us." Littlefoot responded.

_Gee, that not very reassuring._ Petrie thought petulantly.

Petrie sighed. "Okay, me do it." He then looked at Littlefoot, "Me should look soon before bright circle sets."

Petrie then took off from his perch and began to gain altitude. Soon he rose above the canopy of the forest they were passing through and could see the remainder of the valley in its beautiful glory. Whenever he had erratic thoughts, which was quite often in Petrie's case, he found that a flight through the valley was enough to help him think. This time was no exception.

_Well, if stone cursed then valley is probably cursed anyway._ Petrie thought with a shudder. _But if it not cursed, then we simply make good wish before somebody make bad wish._ Petrie continued this line of thought to its logical conclusion. _And if it just be a rock then it just be a rock._ Now that he thought of it this way, the possibilities did not seem so daunting.

"What do you see Petrie?" He heard Littlefoot yell from far below.

_Oh, me forgot that me searching._ Petrie then looked around him and easily saw what they were looking for. There was a large rift where the falling rock had impacted the ground at an angle. It was about as long as two full-gown longnecks, and all of the trees had fallen within several longneck lengths in all directions. In the middle of the final crater, the azure stone shone like the setting bright circle. Petrie now knew the way.

"It is over this way!" Petrie called, "If you turn left at big boulder, you find it!"

With the directions to the stone finally determined, the gang continued their journey.

...

Chomper noticed the smell of charred wood and ash before he saw anything out of ordinary.

"I can smell it guys!" He said excitedly.

Ruby and Spike began to smell the same thing after they had advanced a short distance.

_What sort of thing could cause this much damage?_ Ruby thought._ All I can smell is burning. A rock would have to travel very far to cause this much destruction!_ Her train of thought continued unabated. _Perhaps this is why my daddy called these star rocks from time to time? Perhaps they travel with the stars?_

They then passed through the forest and gaped at what they saw. There was nothing but fallen trees all around them. All of the trees and bushes had been scorched and all of the grass had been turned to ash. If anyone had been here when the stone hit...

"Wow." Was all Littlefoot could say to the sight that lay before him.

They stood there silently for a few moments, before Littlefoot once again continued the trek towards the crater. The others then began to follow closely behind. Although none of them would admit it to the others, they all were beginning to have doubts about what they were doing.

_We are here now and we might as well finish what we have started._ Littlefoot thought with some trepidation. Although he had to admit that it was one of the most intimidating sights that he had ever seen.

They gradually advanced through the apocalyptic hellscape. The sounds of cracking ground and shifting ash greeted them throughout the brief journey. Finally, they saw to the rim of the crater itself and began to climb towards it. Each of them made it to the rim and looked down...

"That must be Stone of Cold Fire!" Petrie exclaimed.

The others were thinking the same thing at that moment.

What lay before them was a crater that seemed as large and as deep as an adult threehorn. The ground still felt warm to the touch and the walls of the crater were blackened. In the center of the crater lay a large rock which was about the size of a small tree. The rock was nearly a perfect sphere with the bluest blue coloration that the gang had ever seen. Its azure hue made everything around it appear to be blue. It illuminated the entire scene in luminescence, despite the fact that the bright circle had just set in the twilight sky.

"I think that you might be right, Petrie!" Littlefoot exclaimed. "Let's take a closer look."

The gang then climbed down to the bottom of the crater and looked upon the azure stone. From this distance the light it emanated was almost blinding. The dinosaurs had to squint their eyes and look oblique at the stone in order not to hurt their eyes.

Cera looked at Littlefoot and said in awe, "What do we do now? Do we touch it and make a wish like Pterano tried or do we leave it alone?"

"Perhaps we should leave it. Leave it perhaps we should!" Ruby exclaimed. "It is not like any stone I have ever seen."

"But if the adults destroy it then we lose our chance to use it for good." Littlefoot replied.

Petrie nodded. "Me could make good wish."

Cera responded untrustingly, "We have seen what you flyers would wish for. Perhaps it is time for a threehorn to make the wish."

Littlefoot decided to stop this conversation before it got out of hand. "We all could agree upon a wish and then make it."

Ruby nodded and said, "But which wish shall we make? We should be careful!"

They all thought for a moment.

"My uncle wanted power in order to do good." Petrie mentioned, "We could wish for that."

"But power often makes people bad." Ruby stated, "My daddy mentioned how power can be dangerous."

Ducky nodded and mentioned, "Yes, Petrie. Remember what the flyers did to me when they wanted power? It wasn't nice. Oh, no, no, no!"

Petrie bowed his head, but he couldn't argue with their logic.

"Perhaps we could wish for all of the sharpteeth to go away?" Cera mentioned in an untactful manner.

"Hey!" Chomper protested.

"We all have a place in the circle of life, Cera." Littlefoot responded. "Even though we don't like what that brings sometimes."

"Hmph!" Was Cera's reply, but she did not rebut Littlefoot's statement.

"Well..." Chomper said as he was in thought, "We all agree Red Claw is bad, right? Then let's ask the stone to get rid of him."

Ruby thought for a moment. "That is a good idea Chomper!" She was ecstatic that perhaps her mission of uniting the herds against Red Claw would be unnecessary if they could simply wish him away.

Littlefoot pondered this for a moment. "But... Pterano only wished for the power to do things, not for the things themselves. Maybe the stone only grants the power to make things happen? Perhaps we need to wish for the power to get rid of Red Claw?"

The others nodded their agreement.

"Alright then. Let's all touch the stone and make the wish." Littlefoot commanded.

The seven forelimbs of the various dinosaurs then touched the azure stone and each could feel a power coursing through them. Ruby noticed that it was the same feeling that her feathers had gotten when she was once too close to a sky fire. It added a very disconcerting feeling to an already disconcerting situation.

"Okay everyone." Littlefoot affirmed.

_How did this go? What did Pterano say again when he was trying to use the other stone?_ Littlefoot thought to himself.

"Oh great Stone of Cold Fire, it is we..." He looked at the gang and thought for a moment, "the seven..." He then continued, "Oh great stone, we ask you to give us your gifts so that we can rid the world of Red Claw!"

The entire gang repeated Littlefoot's words in their minds and closed their eyes.

Moments passed.

And nothing happened.

"Perhaps you say it wrong?" Petrie questioned.

"Or perhaps it is just a stupid rock!" Cera exclaimed.

"Perhaps it will grant the wish later. Perhaps later the wish will be granted!" Ruby suggested.

"Well... I for one do not want to be yelled at for running off." Cera replied. "We should get back to our parents."

Littlefoot sighed. "Yeah..." He then looked at the rest of the gang with a dejected look, "If only it would have worked."

As the gang began their trek back to the meeting place, Littlefoot took a final look at the stone. It was beautiful and mysterious, but perhaps that is all that it was. He then turned back and followed the others back to the meeting.

None of them were present to see the stone begin to glow red.


	6. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the delay in submitting this. I have had computer trouble as of late.**

* * *

**Chapter 5 A fateful conversation**

**_"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood." ― Helen Keller_**

The children walked back in silence to the meeting place. Each of them was preoccupied with what had just transpired. It was a weird stone, obviously. None of them had seen anything like it. However, it most certainly was not the Stone of Cold Fire as it had not bestowed any powers upon them, nor cursed them. All in all, it was a rather anticlimactic outcome.

However, each of the gang reacted to this in different ways.

Littlefoot was a little sullen at the lack of a response from the stone. It was true that he had no idea what to expect when they came across the stone. However, when he saw that it did indeed glow blue and seemed to have an odd presence about it, he had hoped that it was something more than a simple falling rock. Either way, he supposed it was an exciting find. How many other dinosaurs could say that they were able to see a flying rock firsthand? Let alone two, as the gang had seen the previous "Stone of Cold Fire" as well.

Cera, on the other hand, was feeling rather pleased about having her earlier skepticism being confirmed. Just like her father had indicated, it was just another flying rock, nothing more and nothing less. She would have loved to tell the other boneheaded adults about this, but of course that would blow their cover. So she would have to keep her findings to herself. Nonetheless, she was pleased to have the practical, threehorn way of thinking about things to be confirmed again.

The others were more mixed in their responses. Ruby and Chomper both felt that there was something special about that stone, although neither of them could quite put it into words. It just "felt" special. Petrie still suspected that there was something they were missing about the stone itself. _It just like the stories. _Petrie thought. _There must be something more to this._

Ducky and Spike on the other hand were breaking the self-imposed silence of the group. Well... Ducky was anyway.

"I wonder if that rock is the Stone of Cold Fire. I do! I do!" She mentioned to Spike. "Maybe it just doesn't want to listen to us. We are kids after all."

Spike could only shrug in response. He had no idea what to make of the stone. It most certainly made him fell "tingly" when he was near it, but he had no context for what that could mean. He simply supposed, like most things he confronted in life, that it would resolve itself one way or another. He always felt that the others worried about trivial things way too much. In Spike's opinion the best way to handle the stone might be to just wait and see what develops.

Littlefoot then spoke "Shush guys! We are getting near the meeting area. Try to get back to your folks without being noticed!"

The gang then scattered and tried to meet up with their folks.

Petrie had the easiest time of it. The adults were again questioning his mother about what she and the flyers had seen. _She look exhausted._ Petrie noted. He was able to fly on the other side of her without being noticed by her or his siblings. In fact, it looked like most of his siblings had already fallen asleep. _Sound like a good idea to me._ Petrie thought as he just began to notice his fatigue.

Ducky and Spike also had little trouble lining up behind their mother. One of her brothers noticed her arrival and asked Ducky were they had gone, obviously just noticing their absence. Ducky, feeling uncomfortable with lying, nonetheless gave it her best effort.

"Oh we just had to relieve ourselves." Ducky lied. "And we couldn't do that in the meeting place. Oh, no, no, no!"

This satisfied the sibling who has obviously tired himself. In either case, it was doubtful that any of her siblings would ever think of Ducky using subterfuge. Ducky gave an inaudible sigh of relief at the fact that their cover wasn't blown.

Chomper and Ruby, having no relatives in the valley, entered the meeting place just as unnoticed as when they had left it.

Cera also had an easy time, as her father was obviously engaged in the meeting and Tria was preoccupied with her father. Tricia, however, woke from her slumber at Cera's approach. "Ss... Sar...ra?" The toddler inquired.

Cera looked at her half-sister with an amused smile. "Shhh... Yes, your sister is here."

Tria then looked at the two siblings and gave them a smile. "I guess this meeting is getting a bit long. Most of the younglings have already gone to sleep."

Cera then noticed that Littlefoot had snuck back between his grandparents. _Looks like we all have gotten away with it. _She thought with some satisfaction. _Will the adults ever give this meeting a rest? Sheesh!_

It seems that Mama Swimmer had a similar idea. "Can we call it a day on this meeting? The children are tired."

One of the threehorns muttered sarcastically at that "Aren't we all?"

This caused the other adults to look up and consider the proposal. Finally Littlefoot's grandmother spoke up.

"I agree. We could discuss this tomorrow."

Littlefoot's grandfather nodded and replied, "Let us adjourn until tomorrow. Perhaps after we have rested and thought about it more we will be closer to an agreement."

Mr. Threehorn then chimed in. "Yes and the stone should remain undisturbed until we have an agreement."

Tria couldn't help but respond to that. "But... I thought that the stone was just a stone. Why do you care if it is disturbed or not?"

Mr. Threehorn was flustered "Well... Uh... It is the principal of the thing. We don't have an agreement yet."

Tria smiled a knowing smile. _He just wants to have the last word when they do decide what to do with the stone. Oh, Topsy..._

Meanwhile, the meeting had adjourned and the adults were scattering to their nests. Those with younglings were gathering their young ones, sometimes waking them in the process, in order to put them back into the comfort of their sleeping areas. The gang took this opportunity to say their goodbyes for the night.

"Good night guys! See you in the morning!" Came Littlefoot's cheerful call.

This was followed by a chorus of "good night" and "see you later" from the rest of the gang, as they followed their respective parents or grandparents to their nests.

"Wait! Cera?" Came the voice of Cera's father.

"Yes, daddy?" Cera replied.

"What happened to your tail?" He inquired with protective concern.

Chomper stopped right where he was, frozen in fear. _Oh no! _ _If she tells him what happened when he is already angry._ The thoughts in the young sharptooth's mind raced. Chomper gulped. _He might trample me!_ His panicked thoughts exaggerated.

Cera looked at her tail a moment before finally answering.

"Oh that." She answered hesitantly, "I caught it on a sharp rock when I was racing my friends. I guess that I should have been more careful."

"Hmph." Was Mr. Threehorn's reply. "Yes, try to be more careful. It seems I am not the only one who has been annoyed by a rock today. Ha!" He said with some ironic amusement.

After seeing that her father was satisfied with her lie, she glanced in Chomper's direction. She saw a look of immense relief on the young sharptooth's expression. She felt a pang of guilt over her earlier actions. She nodded at him in response and he gave a thankful nod in return. It seems that the earlier incident between the two was now resolved. There were no hard feelings.

...

Moments later Chomper and Ruby were settling down within their cave in the Secret Caverns when Chomper decided to ask Ruby a question.

"Ruby?" Chomper spoke inquisitively.

"Yes, Chomper?"

"Earlier, you seemed to think that our wish could be granted." Chomper began. "Why were you so sure?"

Ruby thought for a moment. "I don't know exactly." She began. "I had heard tales of the stone from my father, which he heard from his father. From his father he heard." She shook her head. "I guess I just hoped that it would work, because it looked like the stone in those stories."

"It's a shame it didn't work." Chomper said gloomily.

Ruby looked at him a moment with a sympathetic expression. "Well look at it this way Chomper, we are no worse or better off than before." She pointed out. "We are still protected by the Great Valley!" She said while twirling around to indicate the expansiveness of the valley.

She concluded. "We also got to touch a falling rock! A falling rock we got to touch!"

Chomper smiled a bit and responded "Yeah... That was neat! Even if it wasn't a sky stone it would still have been interesting. I have never seen a stone make its own light before."

Ruby nodded and affirmed. "Neither have I Chomper."

Chomper thought for a moment. "Perhaps we can look at it again tomorrow? We could try again!"

Ruby rolled her eyes and chuckled softly. "Maybe Chomper... Maybe. But right now it is time for sleep."

Chomper yawned at nearly that same moment much to Ruby's amusement.

"Good night Chomper."

"Good night Ruby."

The preadolescent oviraptor and the young sharptooth soon began to sleep in their dark but comfortable abode. The thoughts of falling rocks and indignant adults fading under the haze of sleep. However, they were not the only ones with questions on this night. On the other side of the valley, three longnecks were about to have a very important conversation.

...

Littlefoot had just arrived at his sleeping place along with his grandparents. He was quite exhausted after the most eventful day he could remember in recent memory. Despite his exhaustion, however, his mind continued to race with the ramifications of what they had gone through and the mysterious stone. However, more than any of that, he still had lingering questions about Chomper and the misunderstanding between him and Cera. These questions and the repercussions of his dream caused him to be lost in thought.

His preoccupied expression did not escape the notice of his grandparents.

"Are you alright Littlefoot?" Spoke his grandmother, "You appear lost in thought."

"Huh?" Replied Littlefoot. "Sorry. I was just thinking."

His grandfather chuckled. "Yes young one, we noticed. Do you want to tell us about it? Is it about the stone?"

Littlefoot shook his head and replied with an immediate "No." But then he thought better of it. "Well... Not really."

His grandparents looked on and awaited his response.

Littlefoot licked his lips for a moment and collected his thoughts. He then looked up at his grandfather and began. "There was a misunderstanding between Cera and Chomper today." He continued after a hesitation, "...and I don't know how I should feel about it."

"Well little one, perhaps you should tell us about the misunderstanding first." His grandmother responded.

"We were playing Runner and Hider..." He began as his grandfather nodded for him to continue, "And Chomper was the chaser." He licked his lips again, obviously nervous in retelling the tale. "Chomper found Cera and began chasing her, but he accidently scratched her." His grandparents exchanged worried glances which Littlefoot noticed, "It was an accident." Littlefoot insisted, "They both jumped and... they kind of crashed."

"Cera was mad." Littlefoot admitted.

"I am not surprised." His grandmother responded.

"But it turned out okay." He thought with some concern, "But what if this happened between him and an adult? It isn't fair that one mistake could force him to leave the valley."

He refrained from finishing that sentence with _...or worse._

His grandfather sighed deeply. It seems that Littlefoot had finally asked the question that had haunted them for the last six seasons and had frightened his during his previous sleep story. How could he break the harsh reality to his grandson without causing undue distress?

He looked at Littlefoot for a moment. He had inquisitive eyes and an innocent heart. It was amazing how someone who had seen so much hardship and despair in his short life could still have the cheerful demeanor that Littlefoot exhibited. Littlefoot's grandfather then steeled himself and frowned in determination. If the cold realities of the great circle of life have not yet crushed Littlefoot under its weight, then he was strong enough to hear the truth about Chomper. He owed it to his grandson to tell him the complete truth.

"The concern of us adults is reasonable Littlefoot." His grandfather responded carefully, "He is a sharptooth and even a youngling can prove to be dangerous and unpredictable."

"But Chomper has always been friendly!" Littlefoot protested.

His grandfather sighed. "Do you remember when we let Chomper and Ruby enter the valley?" Upon seeing Littlefoot's affirmative nod, he continued. "You children were not permitted to attend that meeting. The vote was very close and we nearly sent them away." Littlefoot was noticeably stunned by this information, "In fact, I was one of those who originally voted against him."

Littlefoot was frozen in shocked silence. He had told his grandfather about Chomper's saving of Littlefoot on multiple occasions and about their time on the island. Why would he vote no?

"We believed you children and all of your stories matched. The fact that a young sharptooth could speak leaf-eater confirmed the stories as well. But we were unconvinced that it was a risk worth taking." He continued, "However, we finally decided that by letting them into the valley that perhaps they could learn how to unite the herds outside of the valley against Red Claw. Ruby was quite persuasive on that point and it was the one that swayed us."

"Ruby was able to convince the valley on something?" Littlefoot remarked in awe.

"Yes, she is quite a persuasive young dinosaur that has a strong view about what is right and wrong." He then gave his grandson a wry smile, "Which reminds me of someone else that I know." Littlefoot looked away embarrassed, "I changed my vote but many of the others would agree on only one condition. If either of the two betrayed the valley's trust - whether by stealing an egg or by hunting another - they would both be killed." Littlefoot's mouth went agape. "Ruby agreed to this readily before I could talk the meeting out of it. She agreed that she and Chomper would share the same fate. It is only when they were willing to make that pledge that the others agreed to let them in."

"That... That's horrible!" Littlefoot choked out.

His grandfather nodded but continued. "Even if they would not have agreed to that Littlefoot, death is probably what would happen if they ever did betray our trust. Remember what happened when Chomper pretended to chase Rhett and Ali?" Littlefoot nodded his head, remembering how Chomper was nearly killed by the Old One's herd. "Most adults would trample them and ask questions later regardless of what any meeting decided."

"At some point, whether it is because of a lack of food or for his own safety, Chomper will have to leave the valley." His grandfather continued. "And sometime after that he will have to hunt. He will be your adversary then, Littlefoot." He concluded with a sad expression.

"B... But, he wouldn't betray his friends!" Littlefoot exclaimed. "Even if he had to leave and... do that... he wouldn't hurt his friends."

"Littlefoot." His grandfather spoke softly, "You should know better than most that sharpteeth are unpredictable when they are hungry. Remember your mother?" Littlefoot began to look down at this point. "Chomper may not betray you willingly, but if he became hungry enough then he would become a threat."

His grandmother then spoke. "It is all part of the great circle of life Littlefoot. Chomper must one day be on the opposite side of it." She looked down at him sympathetically and gave him a comforting nuzzle, "You do understand little one, don't you?"

Littlefoot looked up and reluctantly said "Yes. I understand." He swallowed hard and continued. "But it isn't fair! We... We taught him how to be friends with leaf-eaters, how will he feel when he has to..." He couldn't even bring himself to finish that sentence.

"I hope he doesn't grow to hate us for that." Littlefoot concluded. Tears were now flowing from the longneck's eyes.

"Oh, little one." His grandmother spoke. "I am sure he will not blame you for that. It is better to have someone for a time than to have never had them." She began to choke up, "Your mother... When your mother was lost I felt as if part of me had died as well. But I would not have traded any of the moments that I had with her." She looked intently at him. "I am sure that Chomper will be of the same opinion when it is his time to go."

His grandfather then looked into the sky for a moment before speaking. "There's a difference between sadness and despair, Littlefoot."

Littlefoot looked up and gave an inquisitive look. His grandfather, having seen his look, decided to explain. "If he leaves while he still can, then he will still be on the good side of his friends." He smiled as he looked at Littlefoot, "That would be far better than him being forced to leave... or worse... if he lost control."

"Chomper may not want to harm you even when he grows up, but it would be best for him to be at a distance, so that he isn't faced with that choice to begin with. It would not be safe for you and it would not be fair to him." He concluded.

His grandmother then spoke. "But I am sure that Chomper still has several seasons left in the valley before he has to leave." She then looked at Littlefoot with a sympathetic look "So don't be troubled young one. Just know that it must happen one day."

Littlefoot had dried his tears on his flank and was looking noticeably better. "Thanks grandma, grandpa. I guess... I guess I always knew some of this, but..."

"It is hard to think about?" His grandmother finished.

Littlefoot nodded in response.

"It is always better to confront a truth Littlefoot, than to ignore it. Even if the truth hurts." His grandfather replied. "Did you have any other questions? It is getting late."

Littlefoot yawned, being more than ready to enter the world of dreams. "Just one more... What is going to happen to the stone?"

His grandfather responded by chuckling. "I have no idea what the valley will decide. I have heard more than enough about that stone today."

"And don't forget darling that you get to hear about it again during tomorrow's meeting." Grandma longneck teased.

He groaned. "Don't remind me!"

The three longnecks then laughed at his predicament. They were all eager for release after the difficult conversation that they had finished just moments before. The world of sleep now seemed welcoming to them all.

"Good night Littlefoot." Both of his grandparents spoke almost simultaneously.

"Good night." Littlefoot replied.

The three longnecks soon fell under the welcoming blanket of sleep.

...

The stone of destiny continued to glow red as the residents of the valley went off to sleep. An eerie tint of crimson covered the destruction around its crash site. The sounds of insects and snoring dinosaurs were the only sounds to complement the scene.

Suddenly, the crimson glow of the mysterious stone began to fade. The darkness of the night began to intrude into the crash site and the surrounding destruction. To a poetic dinosaur, it would have appeared as if that night sky was attempting to retake the stone that it had so recently lost.

At that moment, however, something changed within the stone.

A sudden pulse of white light emanated from within its dark and mysterious depths, which would have blinded any observer who would have witnessed the amazing event. The destruction around the stone lit up as if it were illuminated by bright sunlight. This pulse was followed by another, and yet another. Six pulses in total arose from the ancient stone.

Then the stone faded to black, never to glow again.

* * *

**My apologies for not responding to your comments until now.**

**RichardTerminator: **Yes, indeed things are going to begin to get interesting quite soon. The old saying "Be careful what you wish for." would have been good advice for the gang to follow, but it is too late for them to change their fate now.

**Littlefootxcera: **We will soon find out what "gifts" the gang will receive. As for romance, there will eventually be some romance in this story (perhaps starting in the next 20 or 30 chapters or so...) but that will only be one small part of the story itself.

**Thanks for the feedback everyone! The sixth chapter, The Nightmare Becomes Reality, should be posted within the next week.**


	7. Chapter 6

**As noted previously, italics indicate dreams or thoughts.**

* * *

**Chapter 6 The nightmare becomes reality**

**_"But what if the monsters come?"_**

**_"Fancy." Kit looked away from the drama to stare at her sister, surprised. "We are the monsters."_**

**_― Dia Reeves, Slice of Cherry_**

_The darkness of the night was permeated by the light of the night circle. Its reflected light exposed an alien landscape unlike anything found in the Great Valley. A flat expanse of scorched land lay in all directions, the only discernible landmarks being the cracks in the parched ground. The desert was utterly barren and without vegetation of any kind. _

_None of that mattered to the young hadrosaur, however, as she had a far more pressing matter to contend with._

**_Roar!_**

_"Ahhh!" Ducky screamed as she leaped to the right to dodge an attack by the advancing fast biter._

**_Thud!_**

_The fast biter missed her mark, as her sickle claws instead ripped the dry ground. She immediately regained her bearings, however, and resumed the chase of the youngling._

_The young hadrosaur had not slowed down and continued to run into the barren expanse. She had no idea where to go. She simply knew that she had to gain some ground on the fast biter or she would never find her loved ones again._

_"How did I get here?" Thought Ducky, "I was asleep and now I am in... this place. I hope mama and Spike are okay."_

_She didn't have much time to consider these thoughts as she could begin to hear the panting of the fast biter behind her. "Oh, no, no, no! She is catching up to me!" The distraught swimmer thought._

_But then she saw them, multitudes of rocks dotted the landscape to her right. Perhaps she could trick the fast biter and make her escape? She certainly had no chance in outrunning her pursuer._

_The hadrosaur ran through the underbrush, zigzagging around rocks trying to get away from the advancing sharptooth. Despite her efforts, the Utahraptor was rapidly gaining on its prey. The small size of the youngling sharptooth helping her match the maneuverability of the leaf-eater. Eager, malicious eyes followed the quarry as the predator readied to deliver a killing strike._

_"I am not going to make it" Ducky thought._

_At that moment the sharptooth lunged at the young swimmer, but missed as Ducky darted to the side at the last possible moment. The sharptooth instead caught a nearby rock, sending pieces of rock everywhere in the vicinity._

_Ducky heard a roar of pain and, in a brief glance behind her, saw that the sharptooth was clutching at her nostrils, which had been sliced open by the sharp edge of the rock. Not wasting her fortuitous escape, Ducky continued to run as fast as her legs could carry her towards a nearby crevice in the desert floor. Perhaps she could find shelter there? The sharptooth would not be distracted for long. It was her only hope._

_She advanced to the crevice in the desert floor and, taking a brief look at the direction where the sharptooth had been, realized that she had eluded the predator for now. The opening of the crevice was barely wide enough for the young swimmer and thus, Ducky realized, should protect her from the sharptooth. Catching her breath and no longer in imminent mortal danger, she began to think about the situation._

_"How did I get into this strange place? Where are my friends? Where is Spike? I hope that they are alright."_

_Obviously not wanting to forsake her new found shelter, and unable to help her friends in her current predicament, Ducky began to walk in the mysterious cave system that she found herself in. _

_She advanced for several minutes into the dark cave. It was a rather difficult trek, with large pitfalls and dark chasms marring its picturesque interior. But Ducky decided that she had to put some distance between herself and the predator. If she was wrong about the crevice being too small, or if the predator found another way in, well... The consequences were too terrible for her to contemplate. _

_Eventually, the cave began to open up into a larger space and the scene that greeted Ducky filled her with awe._

_There was a very large chamber with a large red stone in the center that emitted crimson light that permeated throughout the chamber. At the sides of the chamber, there were seven openings in the walls, but six of the side openings were obstructed with large boulders. Based upon the state of the boulders, the rockslides that had blocked the paths must have happened very recently. She looked at the ground around the six blocked openings and gawked at what she saw. footprints! There were the tell-tale footprints of a longneck, a threehorn, a spiketail, a fast runner, and several others... It could only be the gang!_

_Ducky ran to the boulders blocking the opening that had spiketail prints and yelled as loud as she could. Hoping beyond all hope that she could get some indication that her beloved brother was safe and well. After several moments, however, she realized that she would get no response. _

_"He must have went through before the boulders fell and is on the other side, unless..." No. She would not consider the other possibility. She would try to alert the others and see if they were on the other side of the other openings. Perhaps they could figure out a way out of their predicament._

_She tried yelling beside several of the other openings. She did this for several minutes until her throat was sore and her lungs burned from the exertion. Nothing. No response at all. That left just one more opening. Ducky's mind was racing. Perhaps all of the paths led to the same place? Perhaps she could find the others if she went through the remaining path?_

**_Crack!_**

_She turned to see what had made that sound to find that the boulders that had been blocking the paths had suddenly moved out of the way. A sharptooth flyer and four fast biters were now in their place as well as a familiar sight... _

_"Ch... Chomper? Thank goodness you are okay!" Ducky said to the young sharptooth._

_Chomper did not respond, instead he made a few unintelligible gestures with his forelimbs to the other sharpteeth and they began to follow close behind him. He had a grim expression on his face and his eyes had the gleam of focused determination. He soon took on a stalking motion, with his head focused forward and his small forelimbs at the ready for an imminent attack. What had happened? Was this the same sharptooth that she considered a friend?_

_"Chomper? Ch... Chomper?! It is Ducky, remember? ...Chomper?" Ducky tried without success. The sharpteeth were still advancing on her, with her demise obviously in their intent. Apparently her old friend was no more._

_Choking back a sob, and ignoring the stinging sensation in her eyes, she realized that she had only one remaining chance. She had to take the remaining pathway; perhaps she could lose her pursuers there?_

_She ran through the remaining opening and noticed that she was running through someone else's footprints... A swimmer's footprints! Perhaps she could get the swimmer's attention and get some help? _

_She ran as hard as her legs would carry her. Exhaustion, fatigue, and the painfully sore legs that she gained when running from the fast biter being ignored through force of will alone. She had to find the other swimmer. She had to get help for her friends._

_The swimmer's footprints became clearer and clearer as she advanced through the cave. 'Almost there', she thought. She saw a light up ahead, indicating a chamber with an opening to the outside. She yelled as loud as she could, hoping to get the attention of the stranger. But as she barreled into chamber she caught sight of a scene that made her blood run cold._

_Blood. Blood was everywhere. _

_A rather young swimmer lay on the floor of the cave. Her throat was ripped from ear to ear. Her face permanently contorted with a visage of unspeakable pain. Eyes glazed over and seeing nothing. The swimmer had met a violent and sudden end. There was something familiar about this swimmer, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. _

_Ducky had no other place in which she could go. The path behind her simply led to the rapidly advancing sharpteeth who wanted her blood. She could only venture straight ahead, regardless of her uncertainty and fear. As she advanced her feet began to be covered in the swimmer's still warm blood. Her disgust building beyond words, Ducky repressed the strong urge to vomit. Was this the fate that she had barely avoided? She was almost to the point of despair. Did her friends escape this cave? Would she?_

_She made her way past the grisly scene and found no escape at the other end. A large pool of water lay on the other side of the chamber, with the only opening being straight above, letting sunlight permeate the scene. There was no way out. Only a flyer could possibly find her now. She was trapped and alone._

_She then heard the rustling of feet and saw the sharpteeth enter into the same chamber that she found herself in. She sobbed and thought mournfully "I hope they make it quick. I do, I do. I'm so sorry Spike!" She then closed her eyes and awaited the end._

_Several moments passed and nothing happened._

_Confused, the young swimmer opened her eyes and looked behind her._

_The six sharpteeth now surrounded her from the back. There were four fast biters of several different colorations: yellow, green, light brown, and a dark pink. The four fast biters took up positions on either side of Chomper, with the sharptooth flyer taking up residence on the head of the brown fast biter. They all had apprehensive looks on their faces, which actually unnerved Ducky more than a malicious face would have. She had made peace with dying a few moments before, but what did the sharpteeth have in mind now?_

_Ducky decided to try to speak to Chomper again. After all, he was her friend, wasn't he?_

_"Chomper, it is Ducky, it is, it is! What is going on?"_

_Chomper did not speak. Instead, he simply took his right forelimb and pointed forward. Ducky looked in that direction and again noticed the pool of water. She was confused._

_"You want me to go to the water?" Ducky inquired._

_Chomper simply nodded and the swimmer turned around. She had no idea what the sharptooth had in mind. Did Chomper simply want to show her something? If so then why did he not speak to her and why did he use these sharpteeth to chase her? Perhaps he wanted to kill her when she was least expecting it, perhaps to make it a more merciful kill? She didn't know what to expect anymore and simply was resigned to whatever fate threw at her at this point._

_Advancing slowly, Ducky made her way towards the water. She moved up until her feet were at the water's edge and she looked down._

_Ducky gasped at what she saw._

_Where her reflection should have been there instead was the reflection of a green fast biter!_

Ducky awoke screaming.

...

Littlefoot awoke with a gasp.

He looked around. He could see trees, the water from a nearby pond, and grass waving in the wind. He was still in the Great Valley.

_It was just a dream._ Littlefoot thought with a relieved sigh.

He had just had the most disturbing dream. He was fleeing from a fast biter in a desert of some kind, quite possibly the same desert from his dream a night ago. He had escaped through a cave system only to find that Chomper and a gang of sharpteeth wanted him dead. He went through an open path only to again discover his corpse. As he crashed into the water in order to escape Chomper and his other pursuers, he noticed that a fast biter stared back at him where his reflection should have been.

_I thought that I had gotten over that._ Littlefoot thought to himself. He had made peace with Chomper's fate so why was he still tormented with visions of a horrific future? _I guess that I should talk to Chomper about this._

He then noticed something. He was many paces away from his normal nesting site. In fact, he was a good five minutes' walk from his grandparents. _Did I sleepwalk?_ He asked himself. He had never walked in his sleep before, and the only people that he knew who sleep walked were Guido and one of Ducky's aunts. _I guess I'm lucky that I didn't crash into anything!_ He thought with some concern.

Yawning, Littlefoot decided that he needed to get back to the nest. He could tell his grandparents about the new development tomorrow. Right now, he needed to get some sleep.

With that in mind, he turned around and took a step towards his grandparent's nest.

...And promptly fell on his face.

"Ugh!" Littlefoot uttered in a pained grunt. What had just happened?

The little dinosaur then placed his hind limbs back on the ground, before attempting to do the same with his forelimbs. He noticed that he was now angled at a much more forward stance than what he was used to. He lost his footing again, but was able to use his forelimbs to break his fall this time. He had no idea what was wrong. His hind limbs seemed sturdy and strong, but his clawed forelimbs no longer seemed to be doing the job.

His mind reeled at what it had just processed.

His clawed forelimbs?

Littlefoot then sat upon his haunches and looked upon his two forelimbs. An alien body part greeted his gaze. Before he had gone to sleep that night, all four of his limbs had the same stocky build of his sauropod heritage. Now, however, the curved claws of a theropod dinosaur greeted his eyes. Each of his forelimbs was now of a slender build with distinct reddish-brown feathers emanating from their sides. _Just like Ruby,_ some part of Littlefoot's mind noted that was somehow not yet stupefied by the night's revelations. Each of the forelimbs terminated with a freely movable paw with four distinct digits and an equal number of razor sharp claws.

Littlefoot was dumbstruck with this development and he looked down in confusion. This only worsened his confusion, however, as he noticed his large sickle claws on his powerful hind limbs.

"I'm... I'm a fast biter! How? Why?" The newly formed fast biter questioned the night. He was quite overwhelmed with the transformation that he had just undergone, and he had no idea what to do next. He had become his greatest fear in the span of one night. Nothing in his short life could have prepared him for what he now was experiencing.

That was when his new sense of smell hit him.

Instantly the former sauropod was assaulted by a sensory experience that was unimaginable to any leaf-eater. His miniscule sense of smell had just been supplanted by the olfaction of one of the world's greatest predators, and the transition was jarring. Littlefoot could now smell hundreds of plants at once, whereas before he could only smell three or four. He could now smell all of the other dinosaurs that were within a kilometer upwind of him, whereas before he could only smell others when they were immediately in front of him. He not only could smell them by species, but he could also detect their sex, emotions, health, and other attributes just by smell alone, or rather, he could have done so if he would have been trained. For now however, he was being assaulted with a perspective of the world that was utterly unknown to him.

From his new body everything smelled and felt different. It reminded him of when he was a new hatchling and the whole world was new to him, everything being unknown and exciting. The valley itself was now an alien place. New scents bombarded his mind without mercy as he held his snout and went into a fetal position. Then his own scent hit him, not overwhelming or incomprehensible, just there. He recoiled, shaking his head in an attempt to escape the intrusive scent. Unfortunately, it was now a part of him; it would go wherever he went. It was now as inescapable as his new body.

Littlefoot then clutched his head and groaned in pain. The transition was simply too much for him. Neither his mind, nor his new body, was prepared for the changes that had befallen him. It was inevitable that something would have to give.

For the second time that night, Littlefoot blacked out.

...

Ducky reopened her eyes and took in a shuddering breath.

She had just awakened from a horrific dream, when she was overwhelmed by smells. It was an utterly unknown experience to the young dinosaur. It was as if the smells were bashing her head with the force of a hundred boulders. Eventually, however, the scents became more bearable, though no less alien, and she was able to recover.

_I do not want to go through that again! Oh, no, no, no!_ Ducky thought with much apprehension. _It hurt-ted and scared me! It did, it did!_

She then shook her head, blinked, and decided to look at the land around her.

She was nowhere near the nest, her panicked mind noted, but rather she was closer to where the threehorns slept. _I have never sleepwalked before. Oh, no, no, no._ Ducky thought. _It must have been such a bad dream that I ran in my sleep._

She then looked behind her and saw a sight that made her freeze.

It was a fast biter!

Ducky observed that it appeared to be the same green fast biter that had chased her in her dream. It appeared to be sound asleep, as its snores permeated throughout the valley. It also appeared to be rather plump, which meant that it ate well. She did not want to dwell on that last observation. Ducky suppressed a scream, she had to escape and warn the others.

She took a step in order to begin a brisk jog back towards the nest, but she did not get very far. The young dinosaur almost immediately tripped over her own feet and landed with a crash.

She let out a pained groan and decided to take a closer look at what may have tripped her. She looked down towards her feet and observed that the grass looked smaller than what she had remembered. She then looked up towards the forest canopy above and noted that some of the treestars now seemed to be within easy reach, whereas before they were all above her miniscule height. She appeared to be much larger that she had been prior to going to sleep that night. _How did this happen?_ Ducky's mind questioned. She then began to take a closer look at herself.

_Claws?_

_Sickle claws?_

That observation hit Ducky like an earthshake. She was obviously now some kind of fast biter, but how could this be? Dinosaurs simply did not change kinds. Her mind reeled with this new information and the young fast biter began to sob pitifully. She was now no longer a leaf-eater, but rather a hunter of leaf-eaters. How could she be expected to adapt to such a life? What would she tell her mama? What would she tell the others? The poor youngling had no idea what to do next.

Ducky then heard a surprised gasp from behind her which was immediately followed by a loud thud.

She turned and saw that the other fast biter was attempting to flee, apparently, but was unsure on his two legs. _Maybe because he has never had to walk on two legs before._ A part of Ducky's mind deduced. Ducky began to sob a bit harder, as she now realized who this other fast biter was. Poor Spike must have shared her fate.

Ducky then steeled herself for a moment. She would not be able to calm Spike unless she maintained some control over herself. She then began to advance in the green fast biter's direction.

_Are all of the others like me now?_ Ducky's mind inquired.

As the other fast biter watched her approach, he attempted to run off again only to fall once more.

Ducky sighed deeply. "Spike," she began "It's me... Ducky." Spike looked at her with a confused expression but then he noticed his change in form. He then looked at her with a pitiful expression.

"We... We will get through this together. Yep, yep, yep!" Ducky responded tearfully. Trying, but failing, to use her cheerfulness to power through the dread and growing despair.

At least knowing that they had one another, the two siblings embraced and began to weep.

...

_Claws. Sickle claws. Sharp teeth._

A yellow fast biter with orange crest feathers was looking into a gently-flowing stream, glaring at her own reflection as if she were about to murder it.

_Claws. Sickle claws. Sharp teeth._

Cera had stared down at the stream and observed her reflection for quite some time. If anyone would have asked her how long she had been doing this, she would not have been able to give an answer. It could have been several moments or an eternity for as far as the former threehorn could tell. All that she knew in that moment was that her old life was over.

This made her fell a confusing tangle of emotions. Rage was the one that she was most familiar with from previous experience. She felt rage at whatever had made her forsake her previous happiness for a life of a predator. Despair was another she had experienced in the past, although she did not generally let others know of the fact. She felt despair for herself and for her loved ones. More than anything, however, she felt great apprehension and confusion. What would her daddy say? What would her mother have said? Would she have to begin killing just like those sharpteeth who killed her mother so long ago?

These conflicting emotions had resulted in a growing numbness in the young fast biter. She could not tell whether that was from her current predicament or a defense reaction of her new mind, but this detached feeling was something that was new in her experience. In either event, it allowed her to avoid thoughts about her emotions for a moment and instead allowed her to consider her dilemma.

_How could this happen?_ Cera thought to herself. _This is like something out of one of Ruby's scary stories._ She frowned to herself. How many sharpteeth had they injured or killed during their adventures? Was this a punishment of sorts? Were they being transformed into sharptooth in order to restore some kind of balance in the world?

She shook her head. No, it had to be the stone! Yes, they had wished for the power to defeat Red Claw. Perhaps, the stone had interpreted their wish wrong? If that was the case then they all needed to gather at the stone and try the wish again.

Cera grinned in a joyless, yet determined, expression. _The others have probably been changed too. _ She thought. _ I need to find them so that we can all go back to the stone._

Now with a mission to focus on, Cera was able to put her emotions aside for a moment. She would deal with them later. A threehorn never let feelings get in the way of doing what was necessary... even if the threehorn in question was not actually a threehorn anymore.

She shook her head and began to head in the general direction of Ducky's and Spike's nest. They had to get the wish reversed before morning arrived.

**Thud!**

Cera groaned. _Perhaps I should learn how to walk on two legs first_. The fast biter resolved.

She then continued her journey at a much slower pace, taking great care to remain balanced on her hind limbs.

...

"Ugh!" Littlefoot groaned as he regained consciousness.

He arose slowly and reluctantly opened his eyes. _What was that?_ His mind reeled. He could tell that the onslaught of smells had become more bearable and he no longer had bursts of pain in his head. It was still overwhelming and he couldn't make sense out of much of it, but at least he could think again.

He was still disoriented by his change in perspective. The aforementioned sense of smell was far in excess of anything that a leaf-eater could experience. His sense of hearing was also noticeably more acute. He could hear the snores of valley residents from quite a distance away. He also could hear the scurrying of small mammals in the bushes and grass, as they attempted to feed under the cover of darkness. Even his ability to see in the darkness of night was a bit more sensitive. He knew that it was the middle of the night, but he could see features in the distance that he previously could only see during the daytime and twilight. It was both beautiful and disturbing to the former longneck.

However, now that the sensory disorientation and the initial shock of his change were wearing off, his mind was turning to the ramifications of his predicament. He had watched his mother die attempting to protect him and Cera from a sharptooth. He had also experienced the terror of being chased by sharpteeth on multiple occasions during their various adventures into the Mysterious Beyond. He had fought against them all of his life and, with one exception, had thought of them with dread and foreboding. How could he now be one of them?

He looked up at the one of the stars in the night sky. _What would mother have said about this?_ Littlefoot thought despairingly. _How am I going to live like this? Surely I couldn't... I wouldn't..._ He could not even finish that thought. Despite his open-mindedness, there were certain thoughts that were too horrible for him to accept. The idea of him eating other dinosaurs was one of those. The idea of him betraying his friends was the other.

_His friends._ His mind raced. If it was the stone that did this to him, then some of the others may have been changed as well. _I need to get them and make sure that... there are no misunderstandings. If the adults find them before they wake up... _Littlefoot shook his head. _I will find them and then we will decide what we need to do. Together._

His mind made up, Littlefoot again attempted to walk in his new bipedal stance. He was still very unsteady in his new posture, but he observed that if he went slowly enough he could avoid falling like he did earlier. _Just one foot, and then the other. One, then the other..._ So his thoughts went. He had not had to think about walking since his earliest days as a hatchling, and those memories had almost faded into the ether of the past. To be so helpless in just attempting to take a step was a humbling experience for Littlefoot.

He was distracted, however, by a sudden sound in the trees above. He heard the soft flapping of wings and the movement of a branch somewhere above him.

Littlefoot stopped and went into an alert posture. If this was one of the valley residents then he had no idea how he was going to explain himself. Who would honestly believe that he was Littlefoot and he just happened to change into a sharptooth during his sleep?

He then took a harder look and observed that the flyer on the branch above was a sharptooth flyer, which appeared to be in a state of shock. This was confirmed when the small flyer then began to speak in an uncertain matter.

"Um... Me... Me Petrie. Which are you?"

...

Cera continued to advance through the foliage of the valley, taking great care not to wake any of its inhabitants. _The adults would stomp and ask questions later. _Cera thought. _Who would believe a fast biter?_

She was still quite far from the nest of the swimmer's when she heard what almost sounded like Ducky's voice. It was a bit deeper and almost had a growling quality to it, but it was almost certainly Ducky's voice.

Cera crotched down as low as she could go and peaked behind some bushes.

She could clearly see two fast biters in a small clearing. One was a bit pudgy and had a rather deep green coloration over much of his body. This made quite a contrast to his bluish-green feathers, which were found on the sides of his limbs and the top of his head. The other fast biter was light green in coloration and had teal colored feathers on her body. Cera could tell very easily that this fast biter was Ducky on the basis of her speech.

"That is good, Spike! One foot and then the other. Yep, yep, yep!" Ducky encouraged.

_Well, it looks like I was not the only one who had difficulty with walking on two legs._ Cera observed, before rising to her full height and emerging from the bushes.

Ducky and Spike both went into an alert stance when the intruder made her appearance. They flared out their crest and forelimb feathers and bared their teeth in what was, unbeknownst to them, an instinctual threat display.

"Easy. It is just me, Cera." Cera replied, and the threat displays were immediately dropped.

"Cera!" Ducky exclaimed. She then rushed at the yellow fast biter and covered her in a relieved embrace, much to Cera' surprise. "Have you seen the others?"

Cera froze for a moment, still surprised by the hug, but then she shook her head. "No, I was just trying to find you guys. We need to get back to the stone and undo the wish." Cera affirmed. "I am sure this is all that stupid rock's doing!"

"Probably." A voice spoke from the bushes. The bushes were pushed aside and a brown fast biter and a sharptooth flyer appeared. "We need to get Ruby and Chomper, and try to find out what to do now."

"Littlefoot? Petrie?" Cera guessed, to which Littlefoot nodded. _It seems we have all have the same colors as before, more or less. _Cera thought. "Well, we need to hurry. I don't want my father to find us like this, do you?" Cera replied.

The others couldn't argue with that logic. Taking great care to avoid falling over in their new bipedal stances, the four fast biters and the sharptooth flyer began to advance in the direction of the Secret Caverns. All of them hoped that this horrible turn of events could be reversed. But now that the nightmare had become reality, how could anything ever go back to the way things were before?

* * *

**Author's Note #1:**

**I guess that I should specify that the entire gang (with the exception of Chomper and Petrie) have been transformed into Utahraptors. Even though these dinosaurs were depicted as being scale-covered and without feathers in the series, I have decided to give them a more accurate portrayal in this fanfiction. I suppose that you could consider the five fast biters in the gang to be of a separate subspecies of Utahraptor, whereas other subspecies may lack that characteristic.**

******Author's Note #2:**

**So now the "gift" of the Stone of Cold Fire has been revealed. How will our seven heroes fare now that they have become their worst fears? More importantly, what will they do now? Stay tuned to find out some of the startling answers to these questions.**

**In the meantime, please keep those reviews coming. As I have mentioned previously, this is my first fanfiction so I appreciate all of your comments and constructive criticism. And once again, I would like to offer a big thank you to all of you who have already commented and reviewed.**

**I should have the next chapter posted within the next week. Until then, have a nice week everyone!**


	8. Chapter 7

******As noted previously, italics indicate dreams or thoughts.**

* * *

**Chapter 7 Realization**

**_"Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart." ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations_**

The gang began to move in the direction of the Secret Caverns. What was a moderately lengthy journey in their previous forms had become an epic journey in their new bodies. Just putting one foot in front of the other was quite difficult for those who had never had the experience.

Ducky, having walked on two legs all of her life, attempted to help the others as much as she could.

"One foot and then the other... Good Cera!" Ducky encouraged.

Cera grunted in frustration at the former swimmer. _I know how to do this! _Cera thought, _it is actually doing it that is the problem!_ She then reflected morosely. _It will take us forever to reach Chomper and Ruby at this rate._

Littlefoot and Spike were having a slightly easier time. Spike had already had assistance from his sister, so he at least could walk without falling on his face. Littlefoot, on the other hand, simply seemed to have better instincts on how to walk on two legs. He walked with noticeably more ease than the other two.

Petrie meanwhile was flying in a hovering position around the group, while occasionally perching on tree branches. He considered flying to the Secret Caverns himself, but opted to stay with the group. He had been quite overwhelmed with the events of the night and was appreciating the brief respite that their journey was bringing him.

Ducky ceased her encouraging words shortly after their journey began, as there was nothing more that she could do at that point. It was up to the others to get used to walking on two legs. The gang then proceeded to advance silently through the valley, with Petrie providing the occasional warning that they were getting close to an adult and should change their course. Obviously no one wanted to wake the adults now. Before such a mishap would have simply resulted in them getting in trouble, whereas now it would result in their painful demise.

Once they passed up a pair of sleeping domeheads, Petrie decided to break the silence.

"Will flying rock fix wish, you think?" Petrie asked uncertainly. He did not want to imagine the consequences should their plan fail to work. He did not want to contemplate being stuck as a sharptooth for the rest of his life.

Cera responded assuredly, "Sure, why not? It granted our wish before, didn't it?"

Ducky then replied, "But what if it does not? I do not want to be a sharptooth. Oh, no, no, no." The possibility of actually killing and eating others was just as alien to Ducky as the possibility of abandoning Spike or her friends. She did not want to envision a life where she would be forced to do such things. It was antithetical to everything that she was.

The others stopped and paused for a moment. The subject was breached which none of them were ready to confront, the possibility of failure. What if they had to resort to living like this? How would they survive? For that matter, where would they go? Obviously such a fate would entail expulsion from the valley. These thoughts were made by all of the dinosaurs in their own way, although none dared to vocalize their deepest fears. They behaved as if saying them would make them a reality.

Littlefoot finally spoke, "We have no choice but to get Chomper and Ruby first." He paused for a moment. "We can't talk to our parents in... our bodies... they will think sharpteeth have invaded."

"Yeah, and they would stomp first and ask questions later." Cera affirmed.

"Yeah..." Littlefoot pondered. "We could try to break the wish after we get Chomper and Ruby." He then licked his lip and paused for a moment, "And if that doesn't work..." He looked defeated at even considering the possibility, "Well... We will figure that out together."

He looked sadly at his friends as they digested his words. They were truly out of options at this point. Either they would find some way to reverse this change, or they would have to accept the unacceptable. They all knew in their own minds that they would find out their fate soon enough.

With their fears now spoken in the open, the gang continued towards their destination in silence.

The long trek to the Secret Caverns gave them all more time for introspection. The silence in the outside made for a stark contrast with the voices of confusion raging inside their heads.

The gang had to stop every few moments for one of their number to get reoriented. Although, Cera, Spike, and Littlefoot were doing better in their bipedal stance, they still were very new on their feet. Ducky tried to be supportive during these regular stops in their journey, but there was only so much she could offer. They simply had to get used to only having two walking legs. In a way they were like newborn babies, just beginning to learn how to walk. _Newborn sharpteeth._ Ducky's mind corrected. They had the bodies of young sharpteeth but now had to learn from the ground up as a hatchling would. It was not fair on many levels.

In Ducky's mind, she admitted that she was supporting the others not simply out of kindness, but also for her own sanity as well. It gave her something else to worry about than the horrifying situation she found herself in. She could help someone who had trouble walking, but she could not make sense at what had befallen her and her friends.

Besides the obvious existential horror of growing sharp teeth and becoming her own worst fears, it was actually the secondary changes that confused Ducky the most. The most glaring change from her perspective was a massive change in size. Before the change she was dwarfed by most of her friends, being close in size with Petrie, but now she was the about the same size as Cera and Littlefoot. This change in perspective gave her a sense of being more powerful, which was comforting to some part of her new mind, but very concerning to her personally. _Why do I feel this way?_ She asked herself. _Swimmers do not think that way. Nope, nope, nope!_ But then her own powers of deduction solved the question for her. _But sharpteeth do._ The realization made her shudder. She was beginning to think like a carnivore! How could she keep from losing herself?

The other glaring change was her sense of smell. Although the sudden deluge of smells had long ceased, and the result headache had begun to subside, her sense of smell still confused her deeply. Before she could only smell other dinosaurs when they were rather close by or if they had done something to make them really stink. But now... She could hardly describe it or put it into words. Within her immediate location she could smell all of her friends. Additionally, she could smell a distinct type of smell that Littlefoot, Spike, and Petrie had, whereas she and Cera had a different scent. _I am smelling gender?_ Ducky thought in a confused manner. Was it even possible to make such distinctions with smell? It boggled her mind.

She also could smell other things for which her limited experience had provided her no context. She noticed that when she had a burst of sadness that she smelled a distinct soft odor, whereas during the few times she frustrated Cera with her encouragement she smelled a very unique bitter odor._ I can smell emotions?_ Ducky asked in her mind. Other smells were harder to identify, however. She could smell hundreds of distinct odors simultaneously. Some were weak and others were strong. Which ones represented plants? Which were the valley's residents? She lacked the necessary experience to make such judgments.

One of the few smells from outside of the gang that she was able to clearly identify came when they passed by her own nest from a distance. She could smell a unique scent that came in several unique shades. She was able to determine that that must be the odor of her family under her new sniffer. It smelled much different than how it smelled when she was a swimmer. Likewise, she soon deduced that the unique odors must be representing her mother and each of her siblings. _My brothers and sisters..._ Ducky reflected with sadness. She noticed that the smell wasn't unpleasant like many of the plants were, nor neutral like they smelled when she was a swimmer, but they actually smelled rather nice. _Very nice._ Some voice in her mind corrected. Ducky shuddered at that last thought, not wanting to consider the implications.

As Ducky continued to walk with the others, lost in her own thoughts, Spike followed close behind.

Unlike the former swimmer, Spike was fixated on trying to walk and kept his other thoughts to a minimum. He feared that if he didn't continue the journey with a blank mind, then he would be too overwhelmed to function. As it was, he felt too emotionally numb at this point to consider the full implications of what had happened.

However, despite his resolve in focusing on the task at hand, there were several thoughts that broke through the surface of his mind.

One thing that he noticed, or rather, could not help but notice, was that his new body was far too responsive. As a spiketail he was not agile at all and he tended moved in a slow, deliberate pace. This often was noted by his friends during their journeys within the valley and their adventures outside of it. The movement of his body matched the slow pace of his mind in many ways. He was not necessarily less intelligent than the other members of the gang, but his pace of thought was noticeably more deliberate.

This situation had changed dramatically with his change into a fast biter. Now the slightest will to move on his part would result in him bounding uncontrollably forward. Even his attempts to counteract these forward bounds would be overdone, causing him to fall on his hindquarters several times. His newfound lightness did not help matters any. Although he was a bit pudgy by fast biter standards, he was in very lean form by spiketail standards. He had no doubt that he could run quite fast indeed, if he could ever learn how to control his own body. He reflected with gratitude that he was very lucky to have Ducky assist him after the change.

Although the green fast biter had begun to fixate on walking again and tried to put his other thoughts to the side, there was another realization that plagued his mind. That was the pace of his thoughts. Before, he could calmly focus on one smell or plant and slowly determine the best way to get the green food. Now, however, his thoughts were prone to becoming a confusing jumble. It was as if his new mind was made to figure out things quickly and to make decisions quickly. It was a very different perspective than what Spike was used to, which was another reason he was trying to fixate on the simple. He could afford to be lost in his thoughts later.

While the two siblings took opposing strategies to confront their change, one ignoring their thoughts and the other embracing them, Petrie was left with his own predicament.

Petrie had perched himself on a branch some distance away from the gang in order to scout ahead. He had not experienced the change in smells in the way that the others had, as sharpteeth flyers mainly relied on their sense of vision, but he had noticed a distinct change in his thought patterns.

_Me have been acting strange. _He admitted to himself.

It all started when he was confronted with a horrific nightmare earlier that night. He had been chased by sharpteeth flyers into a cave of some kind and had come face to face with Chomper and a bunch of fast biters. Now he realized that the fast biters in his dream were actually his friends, but at the time it was simply a scary story, nothing more. Upon waking, he noticed that he was outside of the rocky perch that made up his family's nesting site. He thought for a moment that perhaps he had sleepwalked like Guido had done in the past, but he had no prior history of doing that. Confused, and having trouble keeping his fatigued eyes open, he decided to take flight in order to rejoin the nest. That was when he had his first realization that something was seriously wrong.

As soon as he pushed off with his legs and flapped his wings once, he had gained tremendous vertical speed, far beyond what he thought that he was capable of. Normally it would take a few steps and several flaps of his wings in order to become airborne, but now one leg thrust and one flap was enough to have him bounding into the air. He nearly crashed after overcorrecting for this unexpected momentum and he landed with a heavy thud on the ground below. It was then that he noticed that his wings felt weird and his legs felt noticeably heavier.

His attempt at flying having been aborted, he then attempted to walk to the nearest stream in order to take a good look at himself under the light of the night circle. This resulted in him losing his balance and falling flat on his beak. It was only after he walked on "all fours" using his hind limbs and wings as "feet" that he was able to reach the stream and look at his reflection. It was then that he had discovered that he was one of the "long-beak" sharptooth flyers. His horrified reaction was one that the rest of the gang could relate to. It was almost too absurd and impossible to take seriously, but yet here he was. What was he going to do now?

But his subsequent reaction surprised him. After an initial period of denial and an extended period of mourning, he felt... calm. It was as if his normal frantic train of thought was being supplanted by something else. He then took stock of his current situation and tried to look at his options at that point. _Me maybe not only one changed._ He thought at the time. _Me get others and find out what to do._ He soon found Littlefoot after he corrected his flying techniques for his new stature.

Although it was not unheard of for Petrie to take initiative in certain situations, his train of thought after his change was noticeably different than what he was used to exhibiting. It was far more logical, far more detached in its judgment, and far more prone to a proactive response. _Oh no! Me think like bad flyer!_ Petrie concluded. It seemed that far more than his body was affected by the change. This disturbed the young flyer deeply.

A voice from below brought his attention back to the present.

"Okay guys, we are getting close to the cave." Littlefoot exclaimed. "But first we have to get past Mr. Thicknose."

Petrie then paid attention to what was before them all. About a longneck-length in front of the Secret Caverns, Mr. Thicknose was sound asleep. He must have gotten tired after talking to the other adults about the stone and simply decided to rest where he lay instead of trekking all of the way back to his usual place.

This was an unexpected complication.

"Urgh!" Cera grunted in frustration, "I hope that he is a deep sleeper."

"Okay guys." Littlefoot whispered, "We need to be quiet. Walk slow and try not to stumble."

The five dinosaurs then began their journey around Mr. Thicknose. Petrie went ahead and flew directly to the cave itself, as he lacked the complication of learning how to walk on two legs. That was when he observed how difficult this journey would be. Mr. Thicknose had positioned himself in-between the rock walls on either side of this entrance into the Secret Caverns, effectively blocking off the path. This only left two possible options for the rest of the gang. Either they could go to the left of Mr. Thicknose and attempt to walk up an incline with many loose rocks. With their unsure footing this would more than likely lead to crashing rocks which would immediately wake up Mr. Thicknose. The only alternative would be to go to the right of Mr. Thicknose, which meant going between his head and the rock wall of the caverns. This was a slightly clearer path, but if he were to wake up during their journey...

Petrie looked back at the gang and noticed that Cera had the same idea. She had moved to the front of the gang and had begun to move to the right of Mr. Thicknose. This was a risky move, but it probably was their best option. If only there was a way to protect his friends in the event that he woke up...

_A ha! Me got it!_ Petrie thought to himself. He then flew out of the cave to put his plan into action.

...

_Why did I ever agree to do this? _Cera thought to herself. She had begun to walk to the right of the sleeping dinosaur, being careful not to disturb the rocks that lay all around. One small stumble could awake the slumbering dinosaur and alert the whole valley to their predicament.

She looked behind her a moment. She could see that Littlefoot was keeping pace with her, but Spike was having difficulty. Ducky was at hand to help him keep his balance, but with the uneven terrain and loose rocks it was a difficult trek for all involved.

With a concerted effort, she resumed her advance towards the cave. From this distance, the sounds of the massive dinosaur were nearly deafening with her new ears. She could hear his almost roar-like snoring, followed by an almost whiney follow-through as he exhaled each breath. It would have been endearing in a way, except their survival probably depended on him staying asleep. It took much of her concentration just to phase out the jarring sounds and overwhelming smells that she encountered at this distance.

She began to put her weight on one of the stones in front of her when she heard it.

**Creak...!**

"Oh come on!" She hissed silently to herself. She quickly looked around. Mr. Thicknose had begun to stir in his sleep and move his mouth. _Oh no! We are doomed._ Cera thought despairingly as the other members of the gang were frozen in horror.

Mr. Thicknose yawned and then spoke without opening his eyes. "...No, no. That is a trait of flyers, not domehea..."

The snoring then resumed as if it had never ended.

Cera allowed herself a small sigh of relief, releasing a breath that she had no idea that she had been holding. Looking back, she could see that the others had similar relieved looks upon their faces. She signaled with her head towards the other loose stone. Hopefully this one would be more stable, because they would have to step on at least one in order to bypass Mr. Thicknose's head.

**Creak...**

A light creaking noise emanated as the stone shifted under her weight, but it was far lighter than her attempt on the other stone. She looked at Mr. Thicknose and noticed no change in his demeanor. _Thank goodness._ She carefully placed the weight of her other foot on the stone before gently pivoting off of the stone. She looked at the cave in front of her, she was home free. Now it was just a matter of getting the others across.

She looked back towards the others and signaled with her forelimb.

Littlefoot decided to take the initiative and was the next to attempt the crossing. He tentatively placed his forelimbs on the stone and leapt upon the center of the stone in one swift movement.

**Thud.**

Only a light thud could be heard in the valley, as Littlefoot had placed his weight evenly on the center of the stone. Grinning at his success, Littlefoot jumped off of the stone and advanced inside of the cave where Cera was waiting. Only two more to go...

"Do you think that Spike can make it?" Cera whispered to Littlefoot.

"I hope so." Was his only reply.

The two looked on with worried expressions as they waited for the others to attempt the crossing.

Ducky patted Spike on the back and let him be the next to attempt the crossing. Spike was petrified at his predicament. He could barely walk on his two limbs and now he had to balance himself on a loose stone? He was not confident in his chances.

He looked at the stone with trepidation, took a deep breath, and took a leap of faith.

**Tap. Tap.**

In an unplanned acrobatic move Spike jumped on the stone while placing all of his weight on his sickle claws and forelimbs. Fortunately these moves, which were made mainly out of instinct on his part, allowed him to land perfectly on the center of the stone and thus not disturb it. Unfortunately, however, this also propelled him off of the stone and directly into Littlefoot.

**Thud. Urgh...**

Spike and Littlefoot were now tangled in what looked like a pile up of scales and feathers. Cera had a passing thought in that moment that the scene would be hilarious if the stakes weren't so high.

Making an apologetic nod with his head, Spike removed himself from Littlefoot's body. Littlefoot then dusted himself off and gave Spike an encouraging grin. _At least he made it across._ Littlefoot thought.

Ducky suppressed an urge to jump with joy at Spike's triumph. Now she just had to go across and the gang would be safely in Chomper's cave. She felt a pang of happiness for the first time since their terrible transformation. She was so preoccupied with his success that she failed to notice the smaller stone in front of her.

**Crash!**

Ducky crumbled to the ground in a flurry of panicked movement, as the other three could only watch in horror. Ducky had broken her fall with her forelimbs, but that failed to dampen the sound of the impact.

"Huh? Who goes there?" Mr. Thicknose spoke as he began to rise from his prone position.

Ducky trembled with fear. Would this be the end of them?

Ducky heard a groan from Mr. Thicknose as he rose to his full height. He was squinting his eyes, obviously just recovering from his sleep story.

**Thud... Thud...**

"Hmmmm..." Mr. Thicknose uttered as he turned to look at something in the opposite direction.

Ducky had no idea what had caught his attention, but she did not want to waste the opportunity. She ran as fast as she could at the stones and leapt over them with a loud crash, tumbling forward into the cave.

**Thud... Thud... Thud...**

Mr. Thicknose groaned and looked at where the sounds had come from.

"Must be a small rock slide... That's what I get for sleeping by the caverns..." He mumbled to himself. Looking back to the opening of the cave, he noticed nothing out of the ordinary. He could have sworn that he had saw something over there a few moments ago. "Must be seeing things..." He uttered before slowly walking off in the direction of his normal sleeping place.

The four fast biters, meanwhile, were huddled in the cave.

"Is he gone?" Ducky asked in a frightened voice.

"I think so." Littlefoot replied breathlessly. "Thank goodness for that rockslide! It kept Mr. Thicknose distracted."

"I wonder what caused the rockslide?" Cera remarked. "That was too close." She uttered with some relief.

The four then heard the sound of flapping wings as Petrie appeared at the cave opening. "Me was worried about you." Petrie remarked. "Me was not sure that dropping rocks work."

"That was you?!" Cera and Littlefoot asked simultaneously.

"Yes. It me." Petrie replied.

This caused Ducky to leap from her spot and nearly crush Petrie in an embrace. "Oh! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You... crushing... me..." Petrie protested weakly.

The other three began to laugh in relief. They had made it to the caverns after all.

...

The five then began to walk through the cave in search of Chomper and Ruby. Suddenly they heard exasperated yelling from the other side of the cave.

"How could this happen! This is impossible, impossible this is!"

The five looked at one another. _Well that's Ruby._ Littlefoot thought. He then began to advance towards the entrance of the chamber where they heard the voices. After some hesitation the others followed.

"It will be okay, Ruby." There was Chomper's voice, "Being a sharptooth isn't that bad."

_So she has changed as well._ Littlefoot thought mournfully._ I guess we are all in this together now._

"But, this is impossible, Chomper! Dinosaurs just don't change kinds." The fast biter said in a somewhat hysterical voice. Ruby was always among the calmest of the gang. The fact that she was close to the point of panic caused something to sink in Littlefoot's stomach.

That was when Petrie broke the silence.

"Tonight they do."

The gang then walked into the chamber. They could see a surprised Chomper and a stunned fast biter stare back at them. Littlefoot noted that Ruby had changed into the same kind as himself and the other fast biters. She had a rose coloration with violet feathers on her crest and limbs. Her mouth was agape as if she was a baby flyer waiting to be fed. Her confusion then changed to terror.

"Who... Are you?" Ruby asked in a fearful voice.

"It is us. It is. It is." Ducky said in a soft voice.

Ruby and Chomper both stepped back as if they had been struck. Ruby had a horrified look as the realization of what must have happened began to set in. Chomper meanwhile stared at Ducky with a look of incomprehension.

"Ducky! How?" Chomper questioned in a disbelieving voice.

"The stone." Cera said with a toneless voice.

Ruby then covered her mouth with her forelimbs and looked at the gang. Had their wish done all of this? It was unimaginable.

Littlefoot looked at the stunned expressions from his sharptooth friend and the former oviraptor. They would get nowhere if they continued to focus on what had already happened. They had to decide on what to do next.

He sighed deeply. "We need to talk."

Ruby and Chomper sat where they were as the other five began to gather around them. Silently, the seven dinosaurs then gathered in a circle in the center of the chamber and sat upon their haunches.

But it seems that no one wanted to be the one to break the newly found silence that hung over them like a cloud. The ominous silence closely matched the mood of the seven sharpteeth. What was supposed to happen now?

* * *

**So now the gang has finally reunited. What will they decide to do now? How will their realizations about their new reality affect how they view their choices?**

**As always, please read and review. I look forward to your feedback. The next chapter, ****Despair of the fallen**, should be posted by Sunday.


	9. Chapter 8

**********As noted previously, italics indicate dreams or thoughts.**

* * *

**Chapter 8 Despair of the fallen**

**_"It's difficult to ever go back to the same places or people. You turn away, even for a moment, and when you turn back around, everything's changed." ― Gabrielle Zevin, Elsewhere_**

The seven sharpteeth were huddled in a semicircle within the Secret Caverns. Each one had haggard looks as if their worries and confusion were crushing them under their combined weight. The situation was so impossible, so absurd, that none of the members of the gang even knew where to begin. The silence that had started moments before threatened to drag on.

Chomper took the moment and looked at his friends. He had been surprised to awake earlier that night to Ruby's startled cries...

...

Chomper had just been having a rather odd, yet pleasant dream. He was hunting with his father and all of this friends were there as sharpteeth! That would have solved so many of his problems, he thought upon awaking. He always knew in his mind that he would have to eventually leave the valley and trade in his fun-filled childhood for the harsh existence of his kind. He did not revel in that eventuality, but he knew that it was preferable to harming his friends. It would be far better for him to leave them behind to live their lives and to simply accept what fate had decided for him. If only he was a leaf-eater or his friends were sharpteeth, he reflected, then he would not have to leave his companions behind and his future path would not be so lonely...

Chomper blinked and he shook his head, sleep having left him as quickly as it had found him. _No reason to think about the impossible._ He reflected sadly. _It was a nice thought, though._

His eyes then began to focus in the darkness of the cave. His attention shifted to the cave opening in the distance.

_It is still dark outside!_ Chomper observed. _Why did I wake up this early?_

He then arose from his prone position and that is when he heard it.

_Crying?!_

Chomper immediately sprung from his position and looked about the cave. He could not see Ruby anywhere. He could simply hear the muffled cries from an adjacent chamber in the back of the cave. That disturbed him, but not as much as the smells that he could then recognize.

_Fast biter!_ Chomper could smell the intermingled scent of Ruby and an unknown fast biter. _How could a fast biter get in here without me knowing? _Chomper thought in a panic. _Maybe Ruby is hurt?_

Chomper then ran into the adjacent chamber, ignoring the possibility of danger, and called out for his caretaker and friend.

"Ruby! Ruby!" He shouted with all of his might, "Are you okay? Talk to me!"

As his echoes permeated in the cave, he could hear the shuffling of feet and the mournful cries turning into fearful ones. He could definitely tell that the cries were coming from Ruby now. It made something in the small sharptooth break when he heard those sounds come from Ruby. She was one of the friendliest, most good-natured dinosaurs that he had ever known. To hear her cry like this...

"I am coming for you Ruby! Don't worry!" Chomper called out. He increased his pace to an outright sprint.

He ran through the opening into the next chamber and gawked at what he saw. A rose-colored fast biter lay in the corner of the chamber. Her violet crest and forelimb feathers obstructed her face. The smell of fast runner and the fearful cries were coming from this strange carnivore, but not from Ruby. _Where was Ruby?_ Chomper thought._ Unless... No._

"Where is my friend, sharptooth?!" Chomper roared in an imperious fashion. The thought that his friend could possibly have met her doom at the paws of this fast biter made something give in the sharptooth's mind. If he had enough time to reflect upon the matter, Chomper would admit that he could kill at this point. All thoughts about promises to the valley were absent from his mind.

The fast biter stood up, obviously afraid. Her mouth hung ajar and no vocalization left her mouth.

Chomper advanced in a stalking motion. The nictitating membranes of his eyes glowed red in the darkness of the cave. His teeth were bared and his forelimbs were primed to strike. Nothing remained in the demeanor of the purple sharptooth to indicate his normal friendliness; all that his outward expression showed was a hunter about to make a kill. It would have been a frightening sight to any dinosaur, but it was especially unnerving for Ruby.

"Ch... Chomper? It is me. It's Ruby." Ruby muttered in fear.

Chomper stopped in his tracks and hesitated for a moment, obvious confusion on his face. _She almost sounds like Ruby._ He observed. But then he scoffed and went back to his harsh demeanor from before.

"Ruby is not a fast biter." Chomper said matter-of-factly. "And if you don't tell me where she is then I will make sure that you pay the price." He finished as he stared at her with a murderous glare.

Ruby was panicked at this point and began to retreat until she made contact with the wall behind her.

"There is no escape." Chomper said tonelessly. "WHERE IS RUBY?!" He then roared without warning.

Ruby was petrified. She was seeing a side of Chomper than no one, Chomper included, had ever seen before. Part of her mind reflected that she should be honored that he cared enough about her to elicit this reaction, but since she was about to be Chomper's first victim in the valley this thought did not carry very far. She had to confirm her identity now.

"I am Ruby and I can prove it. Prove it, I can!" Ruby stated.

Chomper paused. The speech pattern was certainly a perfect replica of Ruby's, but fast runners simply did not turn into fast biters. That was impossible. Nonetheless, perplexed by the fast biters reaction, he decided to give it one last chance.

"Then prove it." Chomper said tonelessly, not changing his position or demeanor.

Ruby gulped. She then began her story by reflecting on what she and Chomper had gone through together.

"Remember when you were lost on the island and you couldn't find your parents?" Ruby began. "You had gotten lost trying to chase me, not realizing that I was too big of a catch! If you had realized I was too big then you would not have gotten lost." She continued humorously, "You began mumbling to yourself about how you wish you could speak to leaf-eaters so that you wouldn't be so lonely, not so lonely you would be!"

Chomper's demeanor began to change as he stopped baring his teeth and began to look at her with a stunned expression.

"I spoke to you in leaf-eater, which surprised you." Ruby reflected. "And I helped you get back to your parents. My daddy did not figure out about our meetings until I had already taught you how to speak!" Ruby continued. "He was not happy with me. My family went back to Hanging Rock after the cold time was finished there."

Chomper sat down on the rock floor, stunned at Ruby's confirmation.

"He was not happy when you and your parents decided to visit Hanging Rock." She reflected with an amused expression on her face.

"Eventually your mommy and daddy decided that you would be less of a target with me and the valley than with them." She continued. "My daddy thought that if the valley could unite with the mysterious beyond then perhaps we could defeat Red Claw and his allies. That is why he agreed to let me take you in."

Chomper finally replied. "Ruby... How?"

Ruby smiled sadly, tears resuming their path across her face. "I do not know, Chomper. Know, I do not."

The two then embraced as each tried to comprehend what had transpired.

...

Chomper shook his head to dissipate the memory from earlier that night. They had to consider what lay in front of them and put aside what had already occurred. Looking at his six companions, he noticed the same haunted look that he had seen on Ruby's face, the same look of confusion and mental anguish. No one wanted to be the one to break the silence.

Chomper decided to take the initiative and begin the necessary conversation.

"The stone did all this?" The little sharptooth asked, "This wasn't what we wished for!" Chomper looked from member to member as he still couldn't wrap his head around what had befallen his friends.

Littlefoot sighed and looked at Chomper with tired eyes. _I think Chomper spoke for all of us._ He observed.

Cera was the next to speak. "We should have just left that stupid rock alone!" She critiqued. "It granted the wrong wish!"

"We all wish-ed to get rid of Red Claw, didn't we?" Ducky questioned.

"Yeah! You didn't wish to have more sharpteeth friends, did you?" Cera questioned Chomper.

"I would never do that!" Chomper protested.

Ruby made the next statement. "Cera, you know he wouldn't force us to become like him."

Cera then did something that was out of character for her. Maybe it was the fact that she had gone through so much on this night, or possibly she simply didn't want to make anyone else more miserable. But perhaps it was that she could smell the lingering sadness and fear in both Chomper's and Ruby's odor. Whatever it was, her next statement ended the dispute.

"Yeah, you wouldn't do that to us. I'm sorry." The others looked at Cera with somewhat surprised expressions. "I just can't believe this is happening." She then looked down with a sad expression on her face.

"None of us can, Cera. None of us can." Littlefoot replied to Cera, giving her a slight nuzzle.

The others fell silent for a moment.

Cera licked her lips before speaking. "It is just so horrifying!" She admitted, to which Ducky and Littlefoot nodded. "I can't even walk right anymore. I always feel like I am going to fall over." She then shook her head. "This body wants to go fast all of the time."

"The smells are too strong." Littlefoot stated to the others. "I don't know what I smell most of the time, but it is just too much." He looked at Chomper. "I was knocked out when I first smelled them.

Chomper looked surprised at Littlefoot's revelation. _I knew that my sniffer was better than theirs, but I did not know it was that much better! _He reflected.

"I guess that you will get used to it." Chomper replied in an unsure manner. "I was hatched with my sniffer, so it never felt too strong to me."

"The smells give me odd feelings. They do! They do!" Ducky replied. "When I smelled my brothers and sisters they smelled different and..." Upon realizing what she was about to say, she did not want to finish her sentence. "They smelled good, but not in a good way."

Several of the others did not quite understand what she was getting at, but Ruby and Chomper did. They both looked at one another with concerned and knowing expressions. It seemed that Ducky was the first one to come to a horrifying realization about her new body.

"Well..." Chomper began in a cautious manner. "Sharpteeth don't eat green food, so... I guess your sniffer is telling you that." He ended his statement by looking at Ducky with a sympathetic look.

The others looked horrified at that revelation. Had they changed that much? How could they view their relatives as food? It was too awful to contemplate.

The gang quickly began to talk to one another in hushed tones.

"Me don't like this at all. Me can't hurt other flyers!" Petrie protested.

"What would my dad think? Or my mother? What would she have said?" Littlefoot reflected sadly.

A chorus of other voices spoke up as the entire gang attempted to vocalize the fears, concerns, and despair that they had kept inside until now. The purpose of their meeting was forgotten for a time.

Spike was annoyed by this whole situation. In the span of a few short hours he had found out that he had become one of his own worst nightmares, he had to learn to walk again with Ducky's aid, he had barely escaped detection from Mr. Thicknose, and now he had to hear the others bicker over what could not be changed. Their reactions were understandable, but would solve nothing.

Spike looked down and scraped his hind leg on the cave floor in his annoyance. It was a shame that he couldn't speak, because he knew exactly what he would have told the rest of the gang at the moment.

"We can't change any of that. We need to figure out what to do now."

All of the voices suddenly fell silent.

_Good, it sounds like that they are done bickering._ Spike thought. He then looked up at the gang to see stunned expressions on their faces. Every single one of them was staring at him._ What?_ Spike thought in his confusion. Ruby and Chomper both had agape mouths and surprised expressions, whereas Cera had an unsure expression on her face, as if she could not believe what had just happened. Littlefoot looked at him wide-eyed, whereas the expression of his sister was unforgettable.

"Spike? You... talked!" The former swimmer stated in an amazed voice, her forelimbs covering her mouth in shock.

_Wait. I spoke? I spoke aloud? But I cannot speak!_ The confused thoughts went over and over within the green fast biter's mind.

"I did?" Spike questioned.

He had heard his own voice that time. As the reality of the situation began to set in, he spoke again.

"I did." He spoke with a disbelieving but affirming voice.

"My bother can talk now! Yep, yep, yep!" Ducky exclaimed, while enveloping him in a tight embrace.

The others were still too shocked to speak. Had that just happened?

Finally Ruby spoke to no one in particular. "Well, at wish something good has come from this."

Chomper nodded, still in shock at everything that had happened that night. "Yeah..."

The others then began to congratulate Spike on his accomplishment. Spike had always been a full member of the gang despite his disability, but nonetheless this was a great change for everyone involved. They now had a seventh member who could speak and share in the group consensus. Each of them had a childhood full of one-way conversations that Spike had been unable to reciprocate, but now that situation had changed overnight.

It was nice, Cera reflected, that one true "gift" had come from this night of "curses".

As their congratulations died down, Chomper decided to ask a question that had been on his mind that night.

"It is nice to hear that all of you can speak sharpteeth now." Chomper noted which elicited confused looks from the rest of the gang. "But can you speak leaf-eater, Spike?"

Spike looked terribly confused at Chomper's statement.

Littlefoot shared in the former spiketail's confusion and asked the obvious question to the little biter "What do you mean Chomper? We are all speaking leaf-eater right now. None of us besides Ruby and you know sharptooth."

Ruby echoed this sentiment. "Yes, Chomper. I am speaking leaf-eater right now, am I not?"

Chomper looked at Ruby with a sad expression and shook his head.

He then rolled his head back and emitted a confusing series of grunts and bellows.

The others looked confused at this display. Cera looked at Chomper as if he had suddenly gone mad, whereas Littlefoot actually looked at him with a concerned expression.

"What was that?" Littlefoot inquired.

Chomper looked at him sadly and replied. "I asked "Can you understand this?" in leaf-eater. All of you have been speaking sharptooth since you have arrived at the cave. You have been growling at me!"

The others looked stunned at this revelation.

"But... What I am speaking now sounds like leaf-eater to me." Ruby replied.

"Then try to think about speaking sharptooth." Chomper responded. "Perhaps the stone switched things?"

Ruby reflected for several moments upon how to speak sharpteeth before groaning in desperation.

"Oh no!" Ruby cried. "I can't speak it anymore!"

Chomper looked at his friends sadly. It seemed that the stone had made them all speak sharpteeth now, and only sharpteeth. Just like how a born and raised sharptooth would...

Littlefoot, meanwhile, was trying to grasp the full implications of this. Not only was he a sharptooth now, but he also couldn't speak to his grandparents. He had literally no way to communicate with those who he loved or to confirm his identity. What was he supposed to do now?

Chomper noted Littlefoot's expression in particular and decided to help boost the gang's spirits.

"Don't worry guys!" Chomper spoke. "I can translate for you when you want to explain this to your folks."

Littlefoot looked at Chomper sadly. "That won't work, Chomper."

Chomper looked confused. "Why not?" He asked sadly.

Littlefoot sighed. "The adults will have no reason to believe you, Chomper." He began. "They will just think that you let sharpteeth into the valley." His voice began to break as he continued. "They will probably think that we are dead regardless of what you tell them." With tears in his eyes he looked at Chomper directly. "We have to either reverse this... or leave the valley."

The others began to look upon Littlefoot sadly. Ducky was beginning to tear up again, whereas Ruby had a sad smile on her face. She was about to interject when Cera responded.

"Littlefoot..." Cera began, but Littlefoot continued before she could offer reassurances.

"Perhaps it is better that way." He said mournfully. "Perhaps it is better that they think we are dead, rather than know we have become sharptooth. That would crush my grandparents." Littlefoot finally broke down as he could no longer hold back the deluge of emotions that he had contained until that moment. He had always tried to be strong in front of the gang in order to keep them going, but he had never encountered a situation such as this. He had finally met his match not in the teeth of a sharptooth, nor in the barren wastelands outside of the valley, but rather within himself. His leaf-eater self was gone and in its place stood an uncertain fast biter.

Cera and Ruby both went to assist Littlefoot at his moment of weakness, neither of them bothering to restrain their own tears. The others soon joined in to help their leader. The emotional floodgates, so long closed, were now opened.

After several moments of collective sobbing, the gang began to calm down again. It seemed that there was something inside of them that would no longer permit them to mourn. They had a situation to rectify, and they could only rely upon themselves to do it.

"We need to go back to the stone and see if we can reverse this." Cera spoke. "Then we can decide what to do if that doesn't work."

"Yeah... That is what we need to do." Littlefoot agreed after some time.

The gang then left the Secret Caverns with restrained hope in their hearts. Perhaps the stone would be merciful to them and retract the wish? It was their only hope at this point.

...

"What happened?!"

Chomper's question echoed across the desolate expanse that was the stone's crash site. The other members of the gang shared Chomper's confusion and uncertainty.

The stone was cold and lifeless. The bright azure light that had emanated from it during the previous day had given way to a black void that seemed to mock the gang. None of the energy or color that the stone had exhibited earlier remained. It was now simply another stone.

It had also decreased in size. Whereas on the day before the stone was the size of a small tree, it now was only the size of a small boulder. It was a jarring and disheartening change.

The hopes of the gang began to diminish. Nonetheless, they trekked on in their last-ditch attempt to undo the wish.

"Okay guys. Put your paws on the stone." Littlefoot ordered.

Each member of the gang then placed their forelimbs on the stone. Whereas on the previous day a multitude of dinosaur species had joined around the stone, now only fast biters, a flyer, and a young tyrannosaurus congregated around its black form.

Littlefoot gulped. It was now or never. He cleared his throat and began his incantation.

"Oh great Stone of Cold Fire, it is the seven," He looked at the stone with sad eyes and continued, "Oh great stone, we ask you to return us to our original kinds!"

The others repeated the wish in their own thoughts.

Several moments went by...

...And nothing happened.

Littlefoot continued with desperation in his voice. "Please! Please change us back!" His voice cracked. "We haven't done anything to deserve this. Please have mercy on us!" He pleaded.

Still nothing happened.

"You can't do this to us! We have fought against sharpteeth all of our lives, how can you turn us in to them?!" He nearly screamed at the stone, with his forelimb clawing at its surface in agitation. He then spoke in a soft, sad voice "At least show some mercy to our parents. This will hurt them badly... They don't deserve this."

There was no sound or light emanating from the stone. It was just as lifeless as when Littlefoot had begun his attempt.

"Littlefoot..." Chomper began.

"We have to get it to listen, Chomper!" Littlefoot replied. "We have to stop this."

"Littlefoot." Cera then attempted to reach him, her voice showing obvious emotion.

"Come on guys! Put your paws back on the stone! We have to keep trying." Littlefoot responded in desperation.

Ruby then walked directly in between him and the stone.

"Littlefoot..." She spoke in a soft, caring voice. "Littlefoot, it's over."

Littlefoot looked at her uncomprehending for a moment. His intellect had already accepted this possibility hours ago, but his emotions were still not ready to accept the horrible reality.

"Littlefoot." Ruby then spoke in a sad voice. "This... This is us now."

"We have to go now." Ducky said mournfully. "We have to leave the valley!" The former swimmer than began to cry softly.

Littlefoot looked down at the ground below. He showed no emotion on his face, but the twitches coming from his eyes indicated the mental anguish that was going on in the head of the former longneck.

Littlefoot had always been the hopeful one of the gang. He was the dinosaur who always argued for a possible solution. The dinosaur who always kept his bearings and who was able to lead the others even through hopeless circumstances. But now he had finally met his unwinnable scenario, an abyss from which there was no escape. He had not felt so helpless since his mother had died protecting him so long ago. He knew that he would have to motivate the others to carry on, but first he had to work up the motivation himself. At least they were still all here, he told himself. All least they would be able to go into the unknown together...

Finally catching his bearings again, Littlefoot shook his head and began to speak.

"Yeah..." Littlefoot began. "We have to go." He looked up at the others with a resigned expression. "The only ones who could help us deal with the stone are those two rainbowfaces we met when Pterano was around, and who knows where they are?" He then concluded. "What will we do now?"

Ruby thought a moment before responding.

"My parents might know something about the Stone of Cold Fire. They are fast runners and we fast runners have to know many things." She only observed afterwards that the "we" was no longer valid. She quickly continued, "If there is any news from the Mysterious Beyond then they should hear it."

"Yeah." Chomper exclaimed. "They may also know where my parents were recently. If we cannot find a way to change back, then we will need to meet up with them." He added hesitantly. "...And you all would need to be trained."

The last statement fell upon the gang like a pile of boulders. If they could not change back...

The gang now knew that they would have to leave the valley. Either they would find out more about the stone and how to change their wish, or else they would be stuck like this forever.

The same unspoken question echoed within each of their minds. Would they ever see the Great Valley again?

* * *

**So now the horrible truth has finally settled upon our seven protagonists: There is no going back. They must now seek refuge in the Mysterious Beyond with little chance of reverting the change... Or else they will perish. But first they must confront a formidable obstacle to their plans: they must escape the Great Valley undetected! Will they succeed in this endeavor or will their new lives as sharpteeth come to a quick and brutal end?**

**Find out in the next installment, Chapter 9: Escape from the Valley.**

* * *

**gordhanx: **Thank you for the kind words. I have taken great care in trying to keep the gang in character and I am glad to hear that you think I have done a good job in that regard. Of course, as they adapt to their changes their personalities might begin to change a bit...

**Littlefootxcera**: Indeed I always read the reviews on my story, as I am open to criticism and suggestions for improvement. I am glad to hear that you are still reading this story and I will try to maintain a regular writing schedule. However, due to my duties as a teacher, I may have to limit my posting schedule to one chapter per week in the near future. Nonetheless, updates shouldn't become any less frequent than that.

**RichardTerminator**: And excited you should be. (-; Things are really going to get moving plot-wise quite soon.

**Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I greatly appreciate the feedback. The next chapter should be posted by Thursday.**


	10. Chapter 9

**************As noted previously, italics indicate dreams or thoughts.**

* * *

**Chapter 9 Escape from the valley**

**_"Whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you." ― Richard Adams, Watership Down_**

_I never thought that I would ever see this day._ Littlefoot thought. _This is like something out of a bad sleep story._

Once the gang had finally decided that it was time to leave the valley, the next logical question was how they were going to leave it. There were several entrances into the valley which would have served as possible escape routes.

There was the Hidden Canyon and its stinky fruits that repelled sharpteeth, which led towards the east. This would have led to Hanging Rock and, presumably, Ruby's parents, but it had several disadvantages. For one, it would be an unbearable journey with their new sniffers. When Chomper had entered the Canyon with the other members of the gang two seasons ago, it had given him a pounding headache and nausea after just a few seconds. How were they supposed to travel for several hours in this stinky place? Secondly, it was not the easiest path towards hanging rock, as several rivers blocked the path after the canyon is escaped. Altogether this was an unacceptable option.

There was also the northeastern path into the valley, which involved going into a small cave that was hidden from the mysterious beyond by a waterfall. It was probably due to this entrance's small size and hidden location that sharpteeth never discovered it. This entrance had the notable disadvantage that it led in the wrong direction. They would have to take several subsequent alternative paths in order to arrive at Hanging Rock. This would constitute several days of detours. Obviously, this path was not a good option either.

The gang finally decided to go through the north pass, which lead out of the valley. This path would also eventually lead towards Hanging Rock, but it had the advantage of avoiding the rivers. It was the best path to their desired destination.

Now they were walking from the Secret Caverns towards the north pass. The night was only about half-way over and darkness still permeated throughout the valley. The only illumination was from the reflection of the night circle. The journey was not quite as problematic as their initial walk to the Secret Caverns, as they had gotten more used to walking in their new bodies, but the trek was still slow going. They just hoped that they would not wake any of the residents of the valley; otherwise they would have to learn how to run fast on very short notice.

_So now we have to leave. Even if we make it to Hanging Rock, what then? What if they don't know where the rainbowfaces are? _Littlefoot thought to himself. _How are we supposed to find Chomper's parents? Would they even want to help us?_

As the seven sharpteeth continued their journey, Littlefoot decided to ask one of the questions that had been on his mind.

"So um... Chomper?" Littlefoot inquired.

Chomper looked at Littlefoot with an inquisitive expression. "Yes, Littlefoot?"

"Where were your parents going anyway?" He asked. "They left you with Ruby, but did they tell you where they went?"

Chomper shook his head. "No, I don't know where they are. After we left the island, my parents took me straight to Hanging Rock." He began. "They thought that I would be less of a target if I was sent with Ruby for awhile." Chomper bit his lip. "Red Claw had fought my parents a few times, so they were worried for my safety." He looked up at Littlefoot's surprised expression. "Two big sharpteeth are a threat and could be challenged, but a child might be missed."

"Then why does Red Claw not ignore us?" Littlefoot asked.

Chomper licked his lip nervously. "Well... Um..." He started again. "He roared at my daddy during one of his challenges that he hated the valley and anyone who allied with them. He demanded that my parents join him and help to kill those who had killed his son." Chomper pondered for a moment. "My daddy mocked him and said that his son was killed by a bunch of leaf-eater babies." Chomper looked up. "He was mad that my parents did not join with him and he vowed revenge." He shook his head. "Thankfully he did not have Screech and Thud at the time, so my parents were able to fight him off."

Chomper then finished his statement. "I guess that is why he is so focused on the valley. He blames the valley for the death of his son."

The former leaf-eaters stopped in their tracks. Everyone looked back at Chomper. Only Ruby was left confused by the sudden change in the demeanor of the gang.

Littlefoot spoke hesitantly. "You said that leaf-eater children killed Red Claw's son?"

Chomper nodded. "That is what my daddy said. It seems like a silly story though. How could a bunch of kids take down a large sharptooth?"

Chomper then shook his head. "I am sure that the story was exaggerated like most hunting stories are." He said that last bit with a sardonic smile, but he quickly gave an apologetic nod when he realized he had just mentioned hunting to the gang.

Littlefoot ignored the hunting story statement and considered how to phrase his next question.

"Did the stories say what kinds of children killed his son?" Littlefoot asked.

Chomper laughed. "No, Littlefoot. I am sure that it is an exaggerated story. Red Claw's son was even more feared than Red Claw in the Mysterious Beyond. What good could children have done?"

Littlefoot then looked at Cera and the others. Knowing nods were given, as Chomper and Ruby looked upon the group with confusion.

Ruby then spoke up. "What is it everyone?" She was perplexed by their change in demeanor. _We are leaving the valley and may never see it again. Why are they so focused on a silly children's story?_

Littlefoot sighed. "I never would have guessed that we are the reason Red Claw hates the valley." He looked at Chomper with an unreadable expression. "Are we responsible for all of this?"

Chomper was stunned. "That was you guys?" He looked at the others and noted that Cera and Littlefoot were nodding. "Wow. How did you guys do that?"

Cera then spoke to Chomper. "We can tell the story later." She looked up at Littlefoot, who had a contemplative expression on his face. "Red Claw is a monster, Littlefoot. Even if he has a special hatred for us, and the valley... " She trailed off.

Spike then joined in with Cera's point. "He would still be dangerous even if we hadn't killed his son."

Littlefoot swallowed hard and responded. "Yeah... I guess that you are right." He then sighed. "I guess that we need to keep going. We can't change the past."

The gang then continued their journey to the north pass.

...

The gang had traveled for another half hour. They had a few close calls during that time. The most severe of these came when they passed by the sleeping area of some domeheads, which they had failed to smell because of the wind blowing in the opposite direction of their path. Thankfully, they were able to avoid disaster when Petrie told them of the threat just before they encountered them. When the gang considered the full ramifications of what would have happened if they hadn't been alerted, they concluded that Petrie should continue to scout ahead.

Accordingly, the gang had stopped for a moment in order to wait for Petrie's observations. Despite the darkness of the night, his aerial view was invaluable in keeping the gang away from trouble.

Petrie landed beside Littlefoot and gave his report.

"Me fly to pass." Petrie began. "Only swimmers and spiketails ahead."

"Okay, guys. We are almost there." Littlefoot said. "We just have to get past them without getting caught."

"Yeah." Cera said sarcastically. "Then all we have to worry about is Red Claw."

Littlefoot gave her a pointed look. "One thing at a time, Cera. One thing at a time." He said in a joyless voice.

The seven went over a small hill in the valley and could see what Petrie had observed earlier. Ducky's family was sleeping beside a small stream, whereas the small group of spiketails were gathered in a clearing some distance away.

_We should be able to get past Ducky's family just fine._ Littlefoot thought. _But those spiketails might be a problem._

Meanwhile the view of her family evoked strong emotions in Ducky.

_Mommy? Will I ever get the chance to talk to you again? _Ducky teared up at the thought. The reality of her situation was now confronting her again.

Spike, likewise, was having a difficult time of it. When they were advancing through the valley he could put aside his emotions and focus on the task at hand. But now, he had no choice but to confront the dark reality that lay in front of them.

"Goodbye mom." Spike spoke softly into the night.

Ducky looked back at Spike and gave him a quick hug. They both knew that this would probably be the last time that they saw her or their siblings.

The others stopped while Cera walked back towards the mournful duo.

"Maybe this isn't goodbye? Ruby's parents might know something about the stone." Cera could not see Ruby look down in doubt when she made that statement. Cera then finished: "We can't lose hope."

Littlefoot then spoke, more to assure himself than the others. "Yeah. We have gotten out of tough spots before, haven't we?"

Ducky gently nodded her head and began to dry her tears.

The seven then began their final leg of the journey to the pass.

...

_Ura was helpless in watching the scene before her._

**_Ducky ran to the boulders blocking the opening that had spiketail prints and yelled as loud as she could. Hoping beyond all hope that she could get some indication that her beloved brother was safe and well. After several moments, however, she realized that she would get no response. _**

_"Ducky can you hear me?" Ura spoke in a futile attempt to reach her daughter._

_Ducky gave no indication that she heard her mother and instead she began to bellow at the other blocked openings._

_"Ducky!" Ura tried again._

_She tried to touch her daughter in order to get her attention, but her forelimb simply passed through her as if she were a ghost._

_"What... What is going on?" Ura questioned in her confusion._

_Suddenly the situation changed for the worse._

**_Crack!_**

**_Ducky turned to see what had made that sound to find that the boulders that had been blocking the paths had suddenly moved out of the way. A sharptooth flyer and four fast biters were now in their place as well as a familiar sight... _**

**_"Ch... Chomper? Thank goodness you are okay!" Ducky said to the young sharptooth._**

**_Chomper did not respond, instead he made a few unintelligible gestures with his forelimbs to the other sharpteeth and they began to follow close behind him. He had a grim expression on his face and his eyes had the gleam of focused determination. He soon took on a stalking motion, with his head focused forward and his small forelimbs at the ready for an imminent attack. What had happened? Was this the same sharptooth that she considered a friend?_**

_"Oh no! Run Ducky! Run!" Ura yelled helplessly._

**_Ducky ran through the remaining opening and noticed that she was running through someone else's footprints... A swimmer's footprints! Perhaps she could get the swimmer's attention and get some help? _**

**_Ducky ran as hard as her legs would carry her. Exhaustion, fatigue, and the painfully sore legs that she gained when running from the fast biter being ignored through force of will alone. She had to find the other swimmer. She had to get help for her friends._**

**_The swimmer's footprints became clearer and clearer as she advanced through the cave. 'Almost there', Ducky thought. She saw a light up ahead, indicating a chamber with an opening to the outside. Ducky yelled as loud as she could, hoping to get the attention of the stranger. But as she barreled into chamber she caught sight of a scene that made her blood run cold._**

**_Blood. Blood was everywhere. _**

**_A rather young swimmer lay on the floor of the cave. Her throat was ripped from ear to ear. Her face permanently contorted with a visage of unspeakable pain. Eyes glazed over and seeing nothing. The swimmer had met a violent and sudden end. There was something familiar about this swimmer, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. _**

_"Ducky!" Ura exclaimed. _

_ She had just seen a mother's worst nightmare, the loss of a child. But how could Ducky's corpse be there when Ducky was right here looking at it?_

_Ura turned back to where Ducky was previously and gawked at what she saw. A light green fast biter with a teal crest was looking over the corpse with a horrified expression._

Ura awoke with a gasp.

_Ducky!_ Her mind screamed, although no sound left her mouth. She then began to look around her. The lush valley was blanketed in darkness, while the gentle sound of the stream greeted her ears. _It was just a dream. _She thought with some relief.

She gently raised herself up in an attempt to not wake her children. She did not have bad sleep stories that often and tonight's offering was one of the weirdest she had ever had. The last time that she had a dream that horrifying was back when she had feared Ducky was lost after the great earthshake. The return of Ducky, and the arrival of her adopted brother Spike, had put such soul-crushing visions out of her mind. Well, at least until now.

She looked at her beautiful children. She supposed that it was in her nature to be protective of her children, and Ducky had by far given her the most frights. It was only natural that she would have worries about what could be from time to time. Speaking of Ducky...

She looked over at where Ducky and Spike usually slept and noticed...

"They're gone!" Ura exclaimed.

The other siblings began to shift in their sleep at their mother's sudden exclamation. All of them were accounted for, but there was no sign of either the young of hadrosaur or her stegosaurus sibling. Where could they have gone?

Ura took a deep breath and calmed herself. Ducky and Spike had been known to go on adventures from time to time, despite her warnings to the contrary. Perhaps they had simply decided to do the same on this night? If so, where could they be off to?

"The stone." She remarked to herself. _They probably got tired of hearing us adults argue over it and decided to check it out for themselves. _She concluded. _Those two will be in some serious trouble when I find them!_

She then rose from her resting place, taking a quick glance back at her children. _It is warm tonight so they won't notice if I am gone for awhile._ She assured herself.

She then looked more closely at the sleeping area. There were a number of odd footprints leading away from the area. They had the pattern of a two-footer, like a swimmer, but they were not quite right. There was far too much of an impression to the front of the footprint, as opposed to the shuffling pattern that swimmers would normally make.

_Hmmm... _ She contemplated this observation and decided to follow the footprints. Perhaps the children went this way on their way to the stone?

...

"Oh no!" Cera hissed. "She's awake!"

Littlefoot sprung into action. "Quick behind the bushes! We can't let her find us!"

The others began to huddle behind the bushes in the hope that they would not be discovered.

...

She followed the trail for some distance.

The sound of the stream had lessened to a distant hum, in much the same way as a distant rainstorm would only be noticeable to one who paid careful attention. The water plants and occasional tree of the nesting area had given way to the tall grass and plentiful bushes that existed between the swimmers and the threehorns. In any other place but the sanctuary of the valley, it would have been an eerie sight, with many possible areas for sharpteeth to hide and ambush their prey. It spoke to the power of her instincts that Ura still felt some agitation walking through such an area despite the safety of the valley.

The footprints continued in the distance, but then she noticed something interesting.

_More footprints?_

There was a collection of several footprints, but these were heading in the opposite direction. _These are heading towards the nest._ She observed. She then took a closer look at these prints, ignoring the original two pairs of footprints for a moment. They continued for some distance away from her, she noted, but did they do the same in the direction they were heading?

She turned back in the direction of her nest and looked at where the footprints appeared to be heading. They kept going for some distance, but then they turned into some of the bushes in the distance. She took a closer look at the bushes and noticed a flash of light green between some of the branches.

_I have found you Ducky!_

Ura advanced towards the bush at a brisk pace in order to confront her disobedient children.

...

"Oh no! She found us!" Chomper hissed silently.

"We have to get out of here!" Littlefoot confirmed. "Run towards the north pass!"

"But we can barely walk Li..." Spike began before being interrupted by Littlefoot.

"We have to go!" Littlefoot exclaimed.

The seven sharpteeth then ran as fast as they could on their uncertain legs.

...

Ura was dumbstruck as she saw an entire pack of juvenile sharpteeth escaped from the bush she was advancing towards. She was about to shout an alert to the other residents of the alley when she saw something that made her see red.

Chomper.

"How could you, Chomper?! We trusted you!" Ura screamed in rage.

"It isn't what it look..." Chomper began despite Littlefoot's hissed order to run.

"Don't try to argue out of this! You let sharpteeth into the valley!" She raged.

Before Chomper could say anything more Ura rushed in the direction of her nest in order to protect her remaining children, shouting an alarm call as loud as she was able. Chomper knew it was over at this point. He would have to escape with his friends or else be killed by the adults. There was no talking his way out of this.

Chomper began to run in the same direction as the other members of the gang. He hoped that they had one more lucky escape left in them.

...

**Caw! Caw! Caw!**

Mr. Threehorn awoke with a start.

"That is an alarm call!" He affirmed.

He then looked at Tria. She appeared just as confused and surprised as he was. He immediately took a look at Tricia and noted with relief that she was safe and sound. He would just leave her with Tria and Cera while he went to investigate...

Wait.

_Cera is missing!_ His panic mind exclaimed.

**Roar!**

He gave the alarm call of the threehorns in the loudest voice that he could muster. He had to find out what was going on in order to save Cera. Ura would not give an alarm call in the middle of the night unless it was serious. He just hoped that Cera was alright.

"Tria, stay with Tricia!" He ordered.

"But, Cera..." Tria voiced with some concern.

"I will find her. But you need to protect Tricia now." He affirmed, before running off in the direction of the alarm call.

As he ran in the direction of the swimmer nests, he heard loud footsteps which echoed across the valley.

"What is going on?!" It was Grandpa Longneck, with Grandma Longneck following close behind. "Littlefoot is gone!"

Mr. Threehorn had figured as much. "I have no idea! Cera is gone too!"

The two then ran as fast as they could in the direction of Ura's panicked calls.

...

Littlefoot could see the rest of the gang run hurriedly in front of him. Ruby and Cera had been charged at by a few spiketails when Littlefoot decided to intervene. A loud roar and a mock charge later and the spiketails were no longer chasing his friends, but were chasing Littlefoot instead.

_I am glad my distraction worked..._ He reflected. He could then hear the stomping of the raging spiketail get louder and louder. ..._Although I might pay the price!_

Littlefoot leapt to his right in order to avoid the tail slap of the attacking spiketail. Dirt and dislodged plants flew in all directions covering Littlefoot's immediate surroundings in a cascade of destruction.

_This isn't going well. _

He bounded off in the direction in which he leapt, hoping to get some distance between him and the raging spiketail.

"You made a mistake coming here sharptooth! I won't let you harm my herd!" The spiketail leader shouted.

Littlefoot couldn't understand any of the spiketail's pronouncements. All that he knew was that he had a hostile spiketail who was rapidly gaining on him. It was during his panicked run that he heard the flapping of wings and a howl of pain from the spiketail.

"Damned flyer! My eyes!" The spiketail bellowed.

Littlefoot did not look back, but instead counted his blessings and continued to run. He did not care if he was going in the wrong direction. He had to get away from the spiketails. Fighting with them meant certain death.

Littlefoot then heard the sound of flapping wings again.

"Me distract spiketail, but me see no way to north pass. Spiketails block it." Petrie reported.

Littlefoot was gasping for air at this point, but nodded in gratitude at Petrie. _He probably just saved my life. _He reflected.

"Tell the others..." He swallowed. He was still running, not wasting any time for pleasantries. He could barely keep his breath after the amount of running that he had just had to do. "Tell them... waterfall." He muttered breathlessly.

Petrie flew off without comment. What more was there to say? The northeast pass out of the valley was their only hope at this point.

...

Mr. Threehorn and the longnecks were joined by several other residents in their sprint to the alarm call. The adults ran into the clearing of the swimmers. They were surprised to see that the young swimmers had all advanced into the stream, with Ura taking a defensive posture at the shore.

_A swimmer is safest in the water._ Grandma Longneck reflected.

They could also hear the sounds of agitation from a distance away. The sounds of pounding feet and shouting from the direction of the spiketail herd were echoing across the entire north side of the valley.

"What is going on?! Mr. Threehorn questioned.

"Fast biters are in the valley!" Ura affirmed in a horrified voice. "Chomper was with them."

"What!?" Grandpa Longneck exclaimed while Grandma Longneck and many of the others let out surprised gasps.

"Ahhh!" Mr. Threehorn screamed in frustration and rage. "I told you that we couldn't trust him!"

"Littlefoot. Oh poor Littlefoot!" Grandma Longneck muttered in her despair. Her lamentation was joined by much agitation and panicked muttering among the assembled group.

"We have to stop them!" Grandpa Longneck affirmed, but then he attempted to reassure his mate. "We can't lose hope. Littlefoot is a smart lad. Perhaps he escaped?" He responded in a poor attempt to bolster his own spirits.

"They went towards the spiketails." Ura stated. "The spiketails began chasing them when they heard my call."

"Let's go!" Mr. Threehorn ordered.

The adults advanced in the direction of the spiketails, with the defense of their beautiful home on their minds. They would show no mercy to the invaders, or to the traitor...

...

Chomper was bringing up the rear of the group, his young body being unable to keep up with his now fast biter friends. _For not being able to walk well, they can run fast!_ He quipped in his mind. He was quickly becoming exhausted at the constant exertion and he was uncertain how much longer he could go on.

"Guys..." He gasped. "Go on without..." He couldn't even finish the statement as he began to slow.

"Oh no you don't!" He heard from in front of him. "We are almost there. Almost there we are!" Ruby encouraged.

With a supportive nudge from Ruby, Chomper continued towards their destination at a slower pace. He could hear some conversation in front of him, where the others had likewise slowed down.

"Their smell isn't as strong." _That is Spike._ Chomper noted. "I think that we have some distance on them." Spike finished.

"The spiketails are more worried about their own herd than the valley." Cera taunted. "Threehorns would not have stopped, but would have kept on charging." Cera stated with misplaced pride.

"Me think you be right!" Petrie exclaimed from above. "Your daddy is here!"

Cera turned to see what Petrie was staring at and let out a string of unintelligible words before finally saying something understandable.

"Oh crap!"

Littlefoot, who was in the front of the group, looked at the scene behind them. The adults had joined in a massive group, with Mr. Threehorn and his grandparents making up the front row. Behind them, Littlefoot could see enumerable domeheads, swimmers, and the insufferable spiketails from earlier. The group had apparently just regained sight of the gang. They were now charging full speed at them, with the look in Mr. Threehorns face conveying imminent destruction.

"Quickly! Into the entrance!" Littlefoot called.

The gang didn't need to be told twice, as the gang immediately burst into motion.

"You will pay Chomper!" Chomper could hear from the advancing Threehorn. "You will die for this!" The threehorn's malicious roar echoed across the valley.

Tears welled up in the eyes of the young sharptooth. He wanted to tell them all what had happened. He wanted to let them know that their loved ones were safe and sound. But, in spite of the innocence and nativity that was typical of his age, he knew that such assurances would only get him killed. Their only choice was escape.

Chomper could see the others disappear in front of him into the cave that was the northeast pass. He was almost there...

**Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!**

_Crap! He is gaining on me!_ Chomper didn't dare look back. He knew that Mr. Threehorn was close on his heels. _I don't think that I am going to make it!_ He thought mournfully, even though the cave was so close that he could feel the cool air from its depths radiating out into the land outside.

**Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!**

He steadily climbed the path which led into the cave on his now exhausted legs, knowing full well that the threehorn was rapidly gaining on him. _If only I were as fast as my friends._ He thought.

**Stomp... **

He could now feel the reverberation as the shockwave from the charging threehorn's feet shook the ground around him.

**Stomp... **

The displaced air of the falling feet now reached his backside. It almost felt like an ominous wind to the fleeing sharptooth. An omen of death.

**Stomp... **

_Almost there!_ Chomper then leapt at the cave opening with all of his might, hoping beyond all hope that he would find safety in its dark depths within which the adults would not fit.

**Crash!**

Chomper landed awkwardly upon the hard ground of the cave, knocking the air from the poor sharptooth's lungs. He had made it!

**CRASH!**

A deafening roar echoed throughout the cave as Mr. Threehorn collided headfirst with the cave entrance. A large portion of a splintered horn and chunks of shattered rocks flew from the entryway as the enraged threehorn attempted to burrow his way in and slay the hapless sharptooth, but his efforts were for naught. Chomper had escaped into the safety of the cave.

"Are you alright?"

Chomper blinked. It was Littlefoot!

_I made it?_ Chomper asked within his mind.

"Chomper! Are you okay?!" Littlefoot asked again, shaking the sharptooth forcefully with his forelimbs.

"Yeah... I'm fine." Chomper replied weakly.

Littlefoot gave a small smile, but then looked towards the cave entrance.

**CRASH!**

Rocks began to fall within the cave as the enraged threehorn continued his assault on the cave entrance. It was as if the threehorn had lost all sense and now thought of nothing but vengeance and blood.

_He probably thinks that Cera is dead. _Littlefoot concluded, before looking down in sadness. _Who can blame him for acting this way?_

"Let's go, Chomper." Littlefoot softly spoke, giving Chomper a sad smile.

Chomper returned the sad, yet knowing gesture and left with his best friend in the direction of the mysterious beyond.

...

None of the gang was present moments later to witness Mr. Threehorn stop his assault on the entrance and break down into tears. He had lost his first mate, his first three daughters, and now Cera... Brave Cera. He could see through the haze of his tears that his horn was broken, which was a perfect reflection of his shattered heart. He resolved to let the broken horn be a reminder of all of the loved ones that he had failed to protect. Turning around without a word, and ignoring the concerned questioning of the others, he walked in the direction of his nest. How would he break the terrible news with the only two dinosaurs that he loved who remained in this world?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**So now the inevitable has happened and the gang has left the valley. Their own parents, other sharpteeth, and even the terrain itself will be their enemies in the journey that lay ahead. How will our seven protagonists handle their predicament now that hope seems to be a distant memory?**

**Find out in the next chapter, The Lost Children, which should be posted sometime on Sunday.**

* * *

**gordhanx**: Indeed the gang is going through some hard times due to their predicament. Thankfully, however, they still have one another. The full impact and consequences of their "deaths" will be felt in the next chapter. Thanks for the review and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

**Littlefootxcera**: Thank you for the kind words!

**RichardTerminator**: Indeed, there is no going back now. The inevitable escape from the valley has occurred in one of the worst ways possible and now their own parents think that they are dead. The long-term consequences of this development will be explored in the next chapter.

**Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I greatly appreciate the response. The next chapter should be posted by Sunday.**


	11. Chapter 10

**********As noted previously, italics indicate dreams or thoughts.**

* * *

**Chapter 10 The lost children**

**_"At the temple there is a poem called "Loss" carved into the stone. It has three words, but the poet has scratched them out. You cannot read loss, only feel it." ― Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha_**

"Come on, Chomper!" Ruby pleaded mournfully.

She and the other fast biters had escaped through the cave and had exited the other side through the waterfall, only to discover that Chomper had not been able to keep up with them. She and the others had begun to head back to the waterfall when Littlefoot stopped the group and told them to keep on moving. He would go into the cave and make sure that Chomper had made it. Thus began the anxious wait of the gang for any news, good or bad.

_I should have followed behind him! _Ruby berated herself. _Instead I ran without thinking about anything else._

Cera looked up at Ruby's pained expression. She was not happy about the situation herself, but she could notice that the waiting was especially hard on the rose-colored fast biter. She decided to offer some words of comfort.

"I am sure that Chomper is okay." Cera began. "He is slower than us now, but surely he could outrun our parents."

"This is all my fault." Ruby stated. "I should have trailed behind him and made sure that he made it!"

Cera frowned. She was blaming herself for this mess. She had to get her away from this line of thinking.

"You can't go around blaming yourself, Ruby. We were all trying to get away from our folks."

Ruby looked down, but did not say anything. The minutes of waiting dragged on with still no news from the young sharptooth.

Suddenly they heard splashing from the waterfall and could see the emergence of a brown fast biter's head.

_Littlefoot is back!_ Ruby thought with some excitement. However, he stopped for a few moments and no purple sharptooth emerged from the watery stream. _Oh no, don't tell me that he didn't make it!_ Ruby thought with extreme concern.

**Splash!**

The young sharptooth suddenly emerged from the waterfall. He had some difficulty in finding a good platform from which to jump into the stream below, but he had finally found one. He prevented himself from falling face-first into the stream by using his tiny forelimbs to catch himself, and then he looked up at the gang.

_He is alright!_ Ruby thought with delight. Then, without a moment's hesitation, she charged at the tardy sharptooth and embraced him.

"Your okay, Chomper! Chomper, your okay!" The fast biter exclaimed happily.

Chomper was surprised by the sudden physical contact, but did not struggle as he immediately recognized his assailant. He giggled a bit in relief at the calamity that he had just escaped from.

"Yes, Ruby I am fine!" Chomper replied happily. "It was close though. Mr. Threehorn almost got me!"

Cera recoiled slightly at Chomper's words and looked down sadly.

_My daddy probably thinks that I am dead right now and the Chomper was the cause._ She reflected sadly. _If only we had been able to leave undetected._ She lamented. _I'm so sorry, daddy. We should have listened to our parents. We should have left the stone alone._

Littlefoot did not see Cera's sudden change in demeanor, but instead was focused on the happy reunion of Ruby and Chomper. He was glad that the little biter had made it through all of this safely. He considered him almost like a little brother, and now that he was a fast biter that description seemed even more apt. He still had so many things that he needed to talk to Chomper about, from the horrific dreams that came before, to the ramifications of their change, and many other subjects. But for now, he was simply glad that Chomper was back with them, safe and sound.

"I guess that we need to get going now." Littlefoot said with restrained emotion. He was happy that Chomper had made it through their ordeal, but now they had to get going. "The adults might still go after us. We need to get away from the valley quickly." He finished with assertiveness.

Ruby ended her embrace of Chomper, but continued to look upon him with a joyous expression for some moments. She eventually turned towards the others when she fully processed what Littlefoot had just said.

"I do not want to be chased by my mommy again. Oh, no, no, no!" Ducky said.

"She was so angry and so sad." Spike added with obvious emotion. "I never wanted to see her like that."

The others looked at the former hadrosaur and stegosaurus with sad expressions. Not only had they all had to deal with potentially leaving the Great Valley for the last time, but they also had to go through the trauma of having their own parents chase after them with murderous intent. It was a horrific situation for everyone involved.

"I don't know what my dad will do now." Cera looked up sadly. "He thinks that he has lost me. He only has Tria and Tricia now."

"My grandparents lost their daughter to sharpteeth and now they probably think that I am gone too." Littlefoot added.

"They all think that I betrayed them." Chomper stated. "But I would never do that! I wish that I could explain that to them. I wish there was a way..." The young sharptooth trailed off. He had tried to convince everyone that he was a nice sharptooth and it had taken seasons for his reputation as a good kid to be established. Now all of that was in ruins. But, to a much greater extent than his self-pity, he felt great sadness for the adults. He couldn't begin to imagine the amount of pain that being betrayed by someone you trusted would cause. Especially if you thought that the children you loved were now gone forever...

Petrie finally broke through the melancholy that had descended upon the group.

"What do we do now, Littlefoot?" He asked. "We can't go back."

The other dinosaurs were brought back into the present with Petrie's question. They couldn't change the past, but they could determine their own futures. Now they had to focus on the reality that faced them.

"We need to go to Hanging Rock, just like we decided." Littlefoot stated. "Maybe Ruby's parents could help us?"

Ruby looked at Littlefoot with a concerned expression as he gave his answer. There was an important consideration that he was not aware of.

"But we took the wrong pass, Littlefoot!" Ruby exclaimed. "It will take us many days to reach Hanging Rock now."

Littlefoot looked surprised at this revelation.

"Many days? I thought it was only a one day journey. That is how long it took us the last time we went there."

Ruby frowned at Littlefoot's incomprehension.

"We took the north pass back then, Littlefoot." Ruby explained. "It led straight to Hanging Rock. This path does not."

Littlefoot now looked concerned at this new information. How would they be able to survive on a multi-day journey? Before, they could have eaten the various plants that they could find, but now...

Chomper finally broke the silence.

"We can't go back into the valley and take the right path." He exclaimed in a near panic.

Littlefoot agreed with a nod. "No, we can't do that. It is far too dangerous."

Silence fell upon the group again.

"We will become hungry during that time." Chomper stated matter-of-factly. "And since all of you can't eat plants now..." He trailed off for am moment as he thought about a way to put it tactfully. "You will need to find meat." He finally concluded.

Littlefoot had already thought about this possibility moments earlier and as a result he did not recoil at Chomper putting his thoughts out there for the others to hear. Many of the others had not considered the possibility like Littlefoot had and as a result they had a less receptive reaction.

"I will not eat others! Oh no, no, no! I do not care. Even if I starve." Ducky stated with assertiveness. Spike nodded in agreement. He did not feel the need to add any words from his new-found ability to speak. Ducky had summed up his opinion on the matter quite nicely.

Cera frowned and struck a more hopeful note.

"Well, perhaps we will get this reversed later. We do not need to start... doing that." She asserted.

Littlefoot frowned in concentration. "I don't think Chomper is suggesting that we... um... hunt." He said uncertainly. "But we will need to eat during our journey. Maybe we can find enough buzzers to keep us fed?" He asked hopefully.

Ruby looked at Littlefoot, but then began to shake her head sadly. "I don't think that we will find enough food. Enough food we will find." She cautioned. "This part of the mysterious beyond is barren. There is not much food here."

"Well then we will just have to go hungry for awhile, won't we?" Cera stated with some annoyance. Why were they insinuating that they would have to hunt? Surely the gang would not descend to that level of barbarity? They may have had the bodies of sharpteeth, but that did not mean that they had to start acting like it. These were some of the thoughts rushing through the former threehorn's head.

"Um... guys?" Chomper asked uncertainly. He didn't quite know how to put what he was able to say into words that wouldn't scare the others. "When sharpteeth become hungry, they can become... unpleasant."

"Yeah. Like they are pleasant when they aren't hungry!" Cera interrupted in a mocking manner.

Chomper frowned at her response. "This is important!" He replied in annoyance. "When they become hungry they can begin to lose control. They can become violent." He continued. "We will need to eat! We can't let that happen to us!"

"I think that we have enough self-control, Chomper." Cera replied. "Not all of us begin to bite other people's tails when we begin to get hungry." She finished, with a dig at the time that he bit her tail when he was still a baby.

"It was an accident..." Chomper began to reply at her insinuation.

"Guys, calm down." Littlefoot replied in agitation. "We can discuss this more in the morning."

Ducky then yawned, which Littlefoot noticed immediately.

"Right now we need to get some distance between us and the valley." Littlefoot continued as he looked back to the entrance of his former home. "Then we need to get some rest."

"Fine! But if you think I am going to start munching on others, you have another thing coming." Cera spoke in Chomper's direction.

Chomper looked in the former threehorn's direction, with a somewhat dejected look upon his face. How was he going to explain to his friends that they had no choice in the manner anymore? They would eventually either have to eat meat or starve.

He looked in Ruby's direction, who gave him a knowing look. She was an omnivore and did not share the same level of revulsion at the idea as the others. She knew all too well what hunger could do to people and that frightened her deeply. She was concerned about the food situation as well, although she kept her thoughts to herself for the moment.

"Let's get moving." Littlefoot commanded with obvious annoyance in his voice.

The gang then continued their journey away from the valley.

...

_Oh, Petrie! Please tell me that you have made it!_

Volant was flying high above the valley in a desperate attempt to find any sign of the younglings. The darkness of the night made her scouting attempts all the more hopeless, despite the light of the night circle.

She had awoken earlier that night to the alarm call...

...

**Earlier that night:**

Volant was having the most horrific nightmare. She had just seen Petrie be chased by sharptooth flyers into a cave. He had just encountered Chomper and a bunch of fast biters when an unexpected noise interrupted her slumber.

**Caw! Caw! Caw!**

She awoke with a start.

She immediately looked about her. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary in the nest from her vantage point. Her children were awake at the sudden sound and appeared to be as startled as she was.

_An alarm call at this time of night? _She thought to herself, _This must be serious!_

"Stay calm, children! Stay at the nest." She stated authoritatively. "I need to see what is going on."

Before leaving she took a brief headcount to make sure that everyone was accounted for. _One... Two... Three..._ Occasionally flyer children would leave the nest to relive themselves so she wanted to make sure they were at the safety of the nest. _Four... Five... Six..._ Also there was Petrie, who would often go off on adventures with his friends, so she definitely had to make sure that he was accounted for. _Seven... Eight... Nine..._

_Only Nine?!_

"Petrie!"

...

**Moments later:**

She had arrived at the usual meeting place only to find it empty. She then began a long flight across the valley in order to find anyone who could tell her what was going on. She eventually found the other residents of the valley congregated at the northeastern pass. She flew down cautiously beside Grandma and Grandpa Longneck.

_Surely they could tell me what is going on._ She thought to herself.

However, it was then that she took a closer look at the two giant longnecks. Grandma longneck was resting her neck upon her mate's and was utterly lost in grief, whereas the male looked on in a state of shock. The two had obviously just suffered a great loss. It did not take a genius to figure out what that meant. Littlefoot had gotten out of hard spots before and consequently the two had never lost hope even when he sought out incredibly dangerous situations. To have them react like this... It appeared that the little longneck's luck had finally run out. What did this mean for Petrie? She was afraid to ask, but she knew that she must.

"Mr. Longneck?" Volant asked in a soft voice.

At first she was uncertain if the two great dinosaurs had heard her query, but then the massive head of Grandpa Longneck turned ever so slightly in her direction. The two longnecks shared a knowing look. After a few moments, which seemed like an eternity to the concerned flyer, Grandma Longneck removed her neck from her mate's. The look that she gave Volant frightened her more than anything that she had ever seen. It was a look of understanding and compassion. Why would she be giving her that look when she was the one who obviously had just suffered a great loss, unless... No...

"Mrs. Flyer... Volant..." The longneck began. "Chomper betrayed us." The words were spit out as if they were bitter leaves. She had never heard hatred in Grandpa Longneck's voice and she hoped never to hear it again. "He let fast biters into the valley..."

Volant could feel extreme agitation at his words. If Chomper betrayed them and let other sharpteeth into the valley, then what could this mean for the children?

"We chased them out..." He continued, but then he choked back a sob. "But there is no sign of the children." He looked at her with a compassionate look that only partially masked his own pain.

Volant collapsed to the ground. How could this happen? She had feared Petrie gone back during the great earthshake, but he had miraculous found the valley with his friends. Ever since then, he had constantly found trouble but had managed to elude death at every turn. Was this the end? What would she tell his siblings? But wait...

"So... There have been no signs of their..." She almost couldn't choke out the words. "bodies?"

The longnecks looked at her with a taken back expression, but simply shook their heads.

"Then, there is a possibility, right?" Volant said as she began to set up again. "There is a chance that they could have escaped? Somehow?"

The male longneck looked upon her with sadness. He could not discount the ever so slight possibility, but he knew that it was over at this point. All of the signs, from their betrayal by Chomper, the absence of their children, and the entry and escape of the fast biters all pointed to one outcome. He did not hold out hope for another miraculous rescue. He knew that his grandson was gone.

Nonetheless, Volant took off to the skies. She had to try to find the children. She owed it to them. She owed it to Petrie.

...

**Back to the Present:**

But now the truth was dawning on the flyer. There was no sign of the children anywhere in the valley. She would not find Petrie on this night, nor any other night. He had met his doom with his other friends.

"At least he didn't die alone!" She sobbed into the night. "At least he was shown that small kindness."

She then flew down and landed on her nest with a soft thud.

She could hear the soft padding of flyer feet on the rocky ledge she considered home. However, she did not dare look up. She had no idea how she was going to break the news to the other children. How was she supposed to tell them that their brother Petrie was never coming back... and that Chomper was the cause? The situation was almost too horrific to imagine.

"Mommy?" It was Pterana, one of Petrie's sisters. "What's wrong?"

Volant looked up in sadness at her nine remaining children. She knew that she had to give them an answer, even if that would break their hearts.

"Children..." She choked in sadness. "Petrie... Petrie is gone!"

From a distance, all that an observer could have heard emerging from the flyer nest was the mournful cries of a family that had just experienced the most painful of losses. They would be haunted for quite some time by the memory of a brother who would never fly back to the nest. The memory of a flyer that flew away and never returned.

...

As the flyers were mourning their lost brother, Mr. Threehorn was heading back to his nest for one of the most painful conversations he would ever have to make. The entire situation brought back unpleasant memories from many years ago...

_..._

**Six Years Ago in the Mysterious Beyond:**

He couldn't believe the imprudence of that longneck. _Join together as one herd? Ha!_ How dare he suggest such a thing? Everyone knew that each herd stuck to its own kind. Each kind had its own ways of dealing with things and each had their own strengths and weaknesses. To place all of them together would only spell trouble. Besides, the threehorns were the best and brightest of them all, and to invite others along would simply slow the threehorns down.

_Additionally, agreeing would threaten my leadership of the herd. _A more pragmatic part of his mind added. _Changes embolden the young to challenge the old. And heavens know I am getting older._ His mind added.

But of course he couldn't voice his actual reasons for rejecting the offer from the longnecks, flyers, and swimmers. For one, he wouldn't dare admit that he had done something out of weakness. But more importantly, a leader never voices his personal misgivings in threehorn society. As a leader, he had to be the face of assertiveness and be the dinosaur that always had a plan. That was what his father taught him in the hopes that he would rise above his father's status as a deputy, and that was what eventually allowed him to achieve that dream. He wouldn't dream of abandoning his words of wisdom now.

Nonetheless, part of him wished them well. He had to admit that those three herds sticking together was probably their best hope at this point. Although he wondered how they would get along without a single leader...

_Well, whoever said that swimmers or flyers had any sense anyway!_ He thought sarcastically.

He looked around him at the gorge that his herd now found itself in. He noted that it was utterly devoid of vegetation, but there was a small stream with water. _Well, it looks like this place has water anyway. I suppose that this would be as good of a place to rest as any._ He thought to himself.

"Alright!" He commanded authoritatively. "We stop here for the night. See to it that the children get water first. The others can drink their fill afterwards."

He would, of course, drink last. He could very well have had the first sip of water, but that would go against everything that he thought about leadership. He always believed that if he were to ask his subjects to face adversity then he should do the same. He then stepped up in front of the herd and bellowed:

"Deputies!"

Four sturdy young threehorns stepped in front of their leader. Many of the older members of the herd had died in their three seasons of journeying, including his father. Now it was just him and these four ambitious adolescents in the leadership of the herd. He noted that these four would have been considered emaciated during times of plenty, but in these hard times they were the hardiest of the bunch. _I wonder how I look to the others._ He thought to himself. _I have not eaten any better than the others in this journey._ He then put his thoughts aside for a moment and addressed the four.

"Watch the other side of the gorge. Make sure that our children are safe while they drink." He commanded. "You may drink second, after they have had their fill." He quickly added. He needed to placate the most ambitious of the herd in order to keep challenges at bay. He was not in danger of a serious challenge, but the deputies might very well fight amongst themselves at the slightest provocation. The behavioral changes that came with the Time of Great Growing were a formidable thing indeed. A dominance fight in good times was a dangerous proposition as it was, but to have one out here away from food, water, and healing plants... Well, that would be a good way to lose some of his most valuable herd members, and he had to avoid that at all costs.

As the deputies fanned out around the stream, he watched the children walk over and begin eagerly drinking the precious water. He was stabbed with sudden pain as he thought back to his daughter, their sister, Cera. She was always so bold, so brave. She was a lot like him when he was her age, he reflected. But now she was gone... Just like many others in the herd. He was only able to claim leadership over twenty herd members after their previous leader fell, but the herd had initially set off with over sixty. He couldn't give in to despair, as he had to lead the others to the Great Valley. He owed it to all of them. He owed it to the memory of Cera.

"You are thinking about her, aren't you?" Came a soft voice from beside him.

He looked over at the lovely sight of his mate, the mother of his four children. He smiled at her. He may have to put on a tough face for the others, but he knew not to bother when it came to her.

"Yeah..." He affirmed.

"I am sure that she would be happy that we are still going to the valley." She affirmed. "She loved her sisters very much and would want the best for them."

"And they aren't going to find the best in this gorge." He added sardonically.

"I am sure that we will find it one day, dear." She added softly. "You have never led us astray."

_She always knows the right thing to say at the right moment. _He reflected. _I wonder what the herd would think if they knew I got most of my confidence from her._

The two nuzzled for a moment, each being grateful for the momentary respite.

"Sharpteeth!" The panicked yell of a young threehorn echoed across the gorge.

He looked over in the direction of the panicked yell, to see a large fast biter advance towards the herd from the direction they had originally came. It seemed to be moving intentionally slow, but he did not waste much time considering why that may be the case.

"Quick dear! Watch the kids!" He called to his mate, as he took on a defensive stance.

"Defensive positions! Block the gorge! Do not let it near the children!" He yelled at the herd

He and most of the other adults formed a defensive line around the entrance into the gorge. If the fast biter wanted to enter into their territory then it would have to scale a wall of horns.

"Get lost! You coward!" Mr. Threehorn yelled at the fast biter.

But the fast biter did not move. Instead it seemed to simply be looking from side to side, as if it were sizing up the herd. Mr. Threehorn had seen nothing like this and he had seen some rather weird things in the wasteland that was the mysterious beyond. That was when the fast biter did something that was even more unexpected.

**Click! Click! Click! Hiss!**

The fast biter emitted a series of clicks and hisses. If sharpteeth were capable of communication, he might have thought that it were speaking to someone else, but Mr. Threehorn knew that sharpteeth were too stupid for anything like that. _What is this fast biter up to?_ He thought to himself.

He then noticed that three of the deputies that he had commanded to watch the children were now part of the defensive line. Why weren't they with the children?

"Why are you three not watching the children?" He demanded.

The largest of the three responded. "You called everyone up here!"

"I didn't mean you three!" He replied, noting that this situation represented an error on his part. "Go back and watch the kids!"

Suddenly, however, the situation took a turn for the worse.

"Help!" He paled when he heard the panicked scream of his mate._ I am coming dear! Hang on!_

"You!" He yelled at the eldest deputy. "Lead the line!" At his concerned nod, he looked at the other two. "You two, with me!"

The three then began to sprint into the gorge in order to help his mate and the children. However, the sight that greeted them when they reached the stream filled them with grief and disgust.

They could see the disemboweled form of a young male threehorn. It was the youngest of the four deputies. Apparently staying behind when the others left was a fatal decision for the poor threehorn.

As, he continued to look at the scene, however, an even more disturbing sight left him seeing red. He saw a bloody mass in the distance, well behind the slaughtered deputy. He could see a fast biter drag off the bloody torso of a young threehorn into a cave in the rock face of the gorge. _Pounce! No!_ He thought in anguish as it was obvious that his daughter was dead.

He looked around in a panicked state. _Where are the other children! _But there was nothing to be seen in the immediate area besides blood and gore from the massacred child. That was when he heard the sound of groaning coming from behind a bend in the gorge.

"Hang on! We're coming!" He yelled at the unknown party. He had never run so fast in his life. Was it coming from his mate? Or one of his children? Either way, he had to help them. He had already failed so many today.

He ran around the bend in the gorge in the direction of the sound and found a terrible sight.

"Dear!" He roared in concern and grief.

She was lying on her side. A large pool of blood had begun to accumulate beside her neck. As he advanced towards her, he could see that she had large lacerations on her throat as blood flowed steadily from her wounds. He looked into her eyes with a mournful expression on his face, as he knew that these wounds were mortal. He was about to lose his mate.

She gave him a mournful look and spoke in a barely audible voice.

"I... couldn't save the kids..."

His view of her was getting hazy. That was when he realized that he was crying, as he couldn't take his eyes off of her face.

"At least... We will be with Cera now... She won't be alone."

He broke down at these words and nuzzled her gently. He decided to make his final words to her count.

"I am sorry... I failed you... I can't go on without you or the girls."

She coughed, sending a torrent of blood out of her mouth. She knew she only had moments left. She couldn't save herself, or her kids, but she could ensure that Topps would go on. She wouldn't let him throw his life away due to grief. She resolved to save him from himself with all of her remaining strength.

"Promise me... You will not give up." She demanded.

"But, without you nothing matters." He spoke in his despair.

"Life always matters." She said as her voice began to fail her. "Protect the herd and live a good life, Topps. Promise me that."

He looked upon her with sadness and some degree of incomprehension. He knew that he would never be happy again with her out of his life. He had failed to protect his children and now he had failed his mate as well. But he would keep this final promise, he resolved, he at the very least owed his mate that.

"I promise." He replied softly.

She gave her beloved mate a sad smile as she took a final, shuddering breath.

Silence then fell upon the scene. After a few moments the horrifying realization came to the threehorn. She was gone forever.

He did not know how long he lay there, crying and nuzzling his dead mate's body. But after quite some time he heard someone clear their throat behind him. Topps slowly turned and looked in the direction of the stranger.

It was the eldest of the three deputies. "We killed one of the fest biters, sir." He spoke with some hesitation. "But the others appear to have gotten away. The herd is safe again."

Topps looked back at his dead mate for several moments, and he could hear the deputy begin to walk away. He decided that it was time for him to keep his promise to his mate and to be a leader again. He would swallow his pride and do what was necessary for its survival. No matter how distasteful or threatening that may be.

"We leave the gorge tomorrow." He stated assertively. His tone of voice even surprised him as he did not think that he had anything left. "We need to catch up with that mixed herd."

The deputy looked at him with a perplexed expression, but did not object. Instead he simply asked a question.

"Yes, sir. What will we do then?"

Topps looked at the deputy with an unreadable expression.

"The herd must survive at all costs." He spoke with resolve. "If we go it alone then how many of us will be left in the end? Ten? Five? None?" He questioned. "We need to join with the others because there is safety in large numbers. And large numbers we no longer have." As he said the last sentence he looked back towards his dead mate. The deputy took the hint and decided to give the grieving threehorn some privacy.

"I will do as you asked, dear." He spoke softly to her. "No matter the cost, I will keep my promise."

He rose from his prone position.

"Goodbye, my love."

With a heavy heart, he turned around and returned to the herd that he had promised to save.

...

**Back to the Present:**

As he shook those memories from his mind, he reflected on final words of his first mate. He supposed that his first family really was together now in the Great Beyond. At least they wouldn't be alone, like he was.

He then looked up at the threehorn sleeping area. It was within sight now, which meant that he would soon have to break the news to his family. _I guess that I am not alone after all. _He reflected. _But this is going to hurt them deeply. It has already destroyed me._

Tria ran up to meet Topps as he advanced towards the nest. She had a frightened look on her face.

"Goodness, Topsy! Your horn!" She had noticed his broken horn. "Are you alright?"

He didn't reply but instead looked up at his mate with a sad expression.

"Dear?" She asked. Concerned at his lack of response.

"Tria... I have some very bad news."

As Littlefoot's grandparents began to head back towards their nesting area, still mourning their incalculable loss, their heard the mournful wail of a threehorn. It seemed that Tria had finally discovered the fate of her beloved step-daughter. The two longnecks nuzzled one another in their grief.

The residents of the valley all knew that changes would have to come in the morning in order to confront the new threat that faced the valley. The threat from Chomper and his fast biter minions. But for now they had a moment to take stock of what they had lost. As the waning hours of night began to wind down, the valley was immersed in grief.

* * *

**The events of the night have obviously opened up unpleasant memories for the adults of the valley. How will they react to the "invasion" of their valley once they have had time to absorb their loss? At the same time, how will our seven protagonists fare in the dangerous land that is the mysterious beyond? Find out the answers to these and other questions in the next chapter.**

* * *

******gordhanx**: Yes, both the children and the adults are having a difficult time right now. Their passage from one life to another has been marked by their "deaths" as leaf-eaters. The seven hunters will soon realize the full magnitude of what had happened to them.

**Littlefootxcera**: Thanks for the feedback! We have seen some indication in this chapter of how Mr. Threehorn has been impacted by his loss. Unfortunately, this is a situation that he has experienced before. It really makes you feel for the guy...

**RichardTerminator**: Indeed the stone has granted their wish in a way. But as the old saying goes, "Be careful what you wish for." As for the parents eventually figuring out what happened... Well... we will just have to wait and see.

**NorthAmericanJaguar:** Thank you for the kind words! I hope that you enjoy the future installments of this story.

**Thanks for the reviews, everyone! The next chapter should be posted later this week.**


	12. Chapter 11

**************As noted previously, italics indicate dreams or thoughts.**

* * *

**Chapter 11 An old threat returns**

**_"When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout." ― Herman Wouk_**

Littlefoot groaned as the first rays of sunlight fell upon his face.

He began to shift from his prone position. _Why do I feel so sore and tired?_ The little fast biter thought with some confusion. _It is almost as if I fell on... Whoa!_

He caught himself just as he was about to fall over. He had attempted to get up as a longneck would, placing his weight upon all four limbs at the same time. Of course, such a technique no longer suited his new body. With a sudden realization, he remembered the events of the previous night.

_Right. _He thought morosely. _We are sharpteeth now and we are on the run._

He sighed as the refuge of sleep had just evaporated into the harsh reality that they now faced. They didn't have the luxury of sleeping in anymore. They would have to resume their journey in earnest.

He then carefully used his forelimbs to bring himself into the appropriate position and placed all of his weight onto his hind limbs. It almost disturbed him that he was getting accustomed to his new walking stance. When they were chased by the adults, the entire gang had run on instinct despite previously having great difficulty walking. It seems that their sudden escape had awakened something within each of the dinosaurs and they had few walking difficulties thereafter. This opened up several concerned thoughts within the former longneck. What other things could be changing within their uncertain minds? How far would these changes go? If they began to lose themselves to the changes then how would they even know?

He shook his head. Nothing could be done about any of that at the moment. He needed to wake the others so that they could continue their journey. It was far too dangerous to linger in the open.

He went up to Cera first and carefully touched her crest with his forelimb. He was careful to keep his distance because he remembered how she often reacted to sudden awakenings when she was a threehorn.

A sudden swipe of yellowish claws went by where Littlefoot was an instant before.

_Yikes! Well, at least that hasn't changed._ Littlefoot thought with a sardonic smile.

"What is it?!" She hissed. "I was having a pleasant... Oh."

She stopped as she remembered everything. The silence dragged on for several moments, which concerned Littlefoot. He knew that the former threehorn was very prideful and would hide any weakness, but he wanted to make sure she was alright.

"Cera. Are you alright?" Littlefoot asked softly.

"Are you?" She asked pointedly.

Littlefoot closed his eyes for a moment, before again opening them and responding truthfully.

"No." He said with a sigh. "I don't guess any of us are." He answered.

She still didn't face him, but she did give a slight nod as she slowly rose from her resting position.

"I am up. Go get the others." She responded gruffly.

Littlefoot was not quite satisfied with her response, but hid his misgivings. She was loath to show any weakness or uncertainty and it was obvious that their transformation had not changed that. He knew better than to pry when she was not open to it, but he nonetheless had to acknowledge his support.

"Alright. Just remember that we are all together in this."

There was a slight nod from the yellowish fast biter. Normally Littlefoot would expect a sarcastic retort or an annoyed reply, but her subdued response highlighted to him how much of a toll the situation had taken on the former threehorn. She was as shattered by the situation as any of them, but at least she acknowledged that she had the others. Nonetheless, he was troubled by her reaction.

Sighing, Littlefoot then went over to wake the others. Ruby had awakened with a yelp of surprise, which woke up Chomper and Petrie. This startled response only lasted a few moments, as they soon remembered their predicament and went into what was now a familiar sense of melancholy. This only left Spike and Ducky.

"Don't bother. I am awake." Came a gruff response from Spike. Littlefoot stopped for a moment. Even though Spike had finally gotten the ability to talk during the previous night, it still filled him with surprise when the green fast biter uttered words. He still spoke sparingly, but when he did speak it usually was of some significance.

_Well, that just leaves Ducky._ Littlefoot thought to himself.

Littlefoot was about to wake Ducky when Spike waved him off with his forelimb, he would attend to this himself. He was somewhat surprised by Spike's insistence, but decided that it was probably for the best. Of all of the gang, Ducky had taken to the changes the hardest. Not that any of them had particularly adapted to the changes well. She was always the sweet, caring one, who was able to find the good within everyone. For her to become a sharptooth was horrifying on so many levels._ Yes._ Littlefoot thought to himself. _Her brother should handle this._

Spike arose and gently tapped on the former swimmer.

"Ducky? It is time to get up." He softly spoke to the sleeping fast biter.

She stirred in her slumber and mumbled a few incomprehensible mutterings before finally saying something coherent.

"Let me sleep some more mommy..."

Ducky then stopped and opened her eyes at the realization of what she has just said. The first form that she was able to recognize was the dark green coloration of a fast biter. _Spike._ The former hadrosaur registered in her head. _So it was all real._ She concluded with a resigned expression.

She then turned and saw the others. A lean, brown fast biter stared at her with a concerned expression. His posture and bearing communicated both leadership and confusion. This made for a rather disturbing mixture. _There is Littlefoot. _ She concluded. She then saw the others. Chomper was a point of continuity, as he was his same old self. Ruby looked almost furtive despite her noticeable rose-colored feathers. Cera was looking at something in the distance, obviously hiding inner agitation despite her cold exterior. Her green eyes couldn't hide the turmoil deep within. Both Petrie and Spike looked at Ducky with apprehensive expressions. They both were obviously worried about her well-being.

"I am up, Spike." She replied softly. Her eyes were moist with unshed tears, although she tried to put on a brave face. Spike was not buying her act and placed a comforting forelimb on the green fast biter's back. This was the act which caused the entire façade to fade away as Ducky began to softly cry. Spike did not attempt to speak to her, but rather kept his body close to hers. He knew that words were irrelevant at this point as they could not express what they all felt. He would simply be here to comfort his sister. That was the least that he could do.

After a few moments the sobbing died down and the members of the gang were all interrupted by a clearing throat. It was Littlefoot.

"Okay, guys. We need to get going now. We have no idea where Red Claw or our folks are, but I don't want to meet up with any of them." He stated bluntly. He then looked in Ruby's direction. "Where are we supposed to go now?"

Ruby looked up at Littlefoot and responded after a momentary pause. "We need to follow the gorge and go towards the rising bright circle until we reach the river. Then we follow the river until it forks." She replied stoically. "If we are quick, we might be able to reach the river by nightfall."

"Then does the river take us to Hanging Rock?" Cera asked impatiently. She did not like the way in which Ruby was describing the journey. She was already sore, tired, and hungry. She did not need to hear that they had an epic journey ahead of them.

Ruby frowned for a moment before responding. "No. If the river led to Hanging Rock then the journey would be much shorter." She replied gravely. "After the river turns away from the rising bright circle then we will need to keep following the gorge until we get there." She added reluctantly. "We will need to travel for about seven days."

"Seven days!" Cera and several of the others replied in unison.

"Yes." Ruby replied sadly. "There is no other way now. If there was another way then I would tell you the other way."

Littlefoot sighed but nodded nonetheless. He realized that Ruby's characterization of the journey was no different than what she mentioned the previous night. Only now they had a far better idea of what faced them.

"Well, I guess that we have no choice." Littlefoot affirmed. "Let's head towards the river."

The gang then began to get moving, with Littlefoot and Cera taking the lead and the other five falling back in a steady pace. Their journey to Hanging Rock had resumed.

...

"They killed my daughter!" Came the roaring voice of Mr. Threehorn.

The meeting had started only shortly after dawn and the entire valley was present. Well, almost the entire valley. Tria and Ura were too grief-stricken to participate and instead were appointed by the threehorn to watch the children. Despite the horrific memories of the previous night, they welcomed this solemn duty. They had failed to protect Cera and Ducky, respectively, but perhaps they could protect and comfort the remaining children. Neither of them doubted that would be what their daughters would have wanted them to do.

Also absent were about half of the valley's threehorns and domeheads. Mr. Threehorn had asked for volunteers to guard the valley's entrances and other weaknesses. The response was overwhelming. It seemed that everyone felt some responsibility for the previous night's attack and wanted to do their part to prevent further outrages.

This left the remaining adults of the valley to discuss the situation during that morning's meeting. It was one of the gravest meetings that the valley had ever convened. They had evacuated in the past and had even presiding over banishments and graver punishments, but never before had so many been slaughtered since their entry into the valley so long ago. It awakened horrible latent memories in many of those who attended. Mr. Threehorn and the longnecks were but a few who were again haunted by the horrific visions of the past.

"Littlefoot hasn't been found either." Grandpa longneck noted in extreme sadness. "We can only assume that he met his end with his friends." As he finished this statement, Grandma leaned upon his neck and began to sob heavily. They had not had nearly enough time to come to terms with their loss, but yet here they were deciding upon the valley's defenses.

A clubtail was the next to speak. "We told you all that letting that sharptooth into the valley was a foolish idea. Now look! Six children are dead and the traitor knows many of our weaknesses!" As he spoke these words he glared at the longnecks, flyers, and swimmers who were the most amicable to the idea of letting Chomper into the valley.

Silence filled the meeting place. The clubtail had broached a subject that had simmered under the surface ever since the meeting began. Many of the parents who lost children, Mr. Threehorn exempted, had eventually approved Chomper's entry into the valley six seasons previously. Mentioning this fact not only implied that these adults had jeopardized the safety of the valley, but also were responsible for the deaths of their children. Such a veiled accusation would not be received well.

"Now listen here, Kosh." Grandpa Longneck replied through gritted teeth. "That was a decision made by the entire valley and the entire valley has paid for it." His voice then began to crack. "Do you honestly think that I don't realize that my vote has led my grandson's demise? Do you honestly think that anyone here who voted to let Chomper in isn't torn up over his betrayal?!" His last statement was nearly roared out, which left many of the other adults in shock. Such an outburst would not be unexpected from Mr. Threehorn but was unheard of from Grandpa Longneck.

"Dear..." Grandma Longneck replied weakly. She was tired of arguing and simply wanted some time to mourn Littlefoot. She didn't want to see her mate go from despair into rage. That wouldn't be what Littlefoot would have wanted.

Surprisingly, Mr. Threehorn was the one who took on the responsibility to be the voice of reason.

"We can't change the past." He spoke resignedly. "We have to move on and think about what to do now." He looked away from the other adults for a moment. "That is what Cera would have wanted us to do. That is what all of our children would have wanted." He finished his statement while looking down in grief.

Silence permeated through the meeting place again, as no one dared speak after the heartfelt words of the elder threehorn. Finally, Volant spoke on behalf of the flyers.

"We need to scout outside the valley and make sure the sharpteeth aren't nearby." She stated softly. "We flyers could take care of that."

Mr. Threehorn looked up. Volant had the determined look of a dinosaur who wanted closure. It was the look not of a consciousness flyer, but rather of a vengeful one. She wanted vengeance for Petrie's demise. This was an impulse that he could understand all too well at this point, but it was not one that suited the female flyer.

"And I take it that you want to lead the effort?" He added dryly.

She simply nodded at his question.

"Very well." He spoke gravely, as all of his fatigue and years seemed to exude through his voice. "But remember you have other children, Volant. Petrie wouldn't have wanted you to leave them as orphans."

She didn't respond and simply flew off to gather the other volunteers.

The threehorn sighed and reflected glumly at her predicament and how it reminded him of his own past. He would have let himself fall in his grief if it wasn't for the promise he made to his first mate as she lay dying. He knew this now and realized that she had known him far better than he had known himself. He simply hoped that Volant realized her worth before the same grief, the loss of a child, destroyed her as well. She didn't have a mate to lean on for support, but she did have her children and the memories of the beloved grammar-challenged flyer. Hopefully, that would be enough.

"I guess... We need to discuss the valley's defenses." Came the soft voice of Grandpa Longneck.

Mr. Threehorn snapped out of his melancholy and looked at the towering longneck. They couldn't fall into despair, as they had the valley to protect. He cleared his throat as he prepared to make known his views on the matter.

"I agree. Here is what we should do..."

...

Volant had been flying for well over half the day and was getting quite exhausted. Her volunteers had all taken several breaks during the scouting run, but she had abstained from any rest. She had to find that treasonous sharptooth and the other sharpteeth that had killed her son. She had to either make sure that they were well away from the valley, or otherwise dealt with. She owed it to her other children to protect them from this threat and she owed it to Petrie...

Suddenly, up ahead she found something. It was another flyer! She couldn't quite make out what kind of flyer it was from that distance, but when she looked down she knew all too well what she was faced with. She noticed a thick streak of blowing dust the partially obscured the runners below, but with the gentle blowing of the northern winds she could see the six figures.

It was Chomper and his fast biters!

She noted with rising anger that the flyer up ahead must be the same one that was in the valley. The same one that struck at and partially blinded the leader of the spiketail herd. And the one who more than likely killed Petrie. Petrie, being a competent flyer, could have escaped from any of the others, but not from the sharptooth flyer. He looked small enough, she observed. She could attempt to take him down and the sharpteeth below wouldn't be able to do anything about it. If she died in the attempt then at least she would have done so in order to avenge her fallen son. It was a price she would gladly pay.

But then the words of Mr. Threehorn echoed in her head.

_"But remember you have other children, Volant. Petrie wouldn't have wanted you to leave them as orphans."_

She then realized that she was being selfish. She had nine other children who Petrie had loved dearly as brothers and sisters. He would have been disappointed in her if she sacrificed herself out of revenge. No, she resolved, she would fulfill her duties as a parent and protect those who remained under her charge. She could beg for Petrie's forgiveness when it was her time to enter the Great Beyond, but for now she had others to care for. She knew that Petrie would accept that, even if she could not.

Finally having resolved to tell the others of her findings, Volant let out a mournful cry towards the retreating sharpteeth and turned back towards the other searchers. The sharpteeth were well away from the valley and were moving at a brisk pace to the east. The valley was safe for now.

...

Petrie watched from the air as his mother turned and flew back towards the valley. Her call conveyed so much rage and so much pain that it broke the sharptooth flyer's heart. If only he could talk to her and tell her what really happened. If only they could reverse the changes and go back... But all of those possibilities seemed out of reach now. He simply hoped that she was able to recover from his disappearance. He didn't want her to continue to suffer like she was.

As the small flyer was alone in his thoughts in the sky above, Spike was contemplating the journey ahead and the changes that they all were still adjusting to with varying degrees of success.

The entire gang was now passing through a narrow gorge that supposedly lead to the river that they were now seeking. The river was only the first destination on what promised to be an epic journey if Ruby's recollection was correct. Spike was already finding that he did not enjoy this journey. There was no food in this place, or at least no food that he could now eat... Additionally the arid land and dry air made him desperate with thirst. How were they supposed to survive five days of this?

The only good thing about this journey, Spike reflected, was that it gave him some time to think and get his thoughts in order. The mental task that he had avoided the night before could finally be attended to on this day.

When using his new faculties, he noticed with some concern that his train of thought was entirely different than what it was before. Previously he had been deliberate in his thoughts and they simply gravitated in a linear fashion. If he smelled a plant that was enticing, for example, then he would simply locate the plant with his sniffer and eat. If his sister was upset, then he would simply go beside her and grunt in a questioning manner. She, without fail, would tell him of her problems and as a result she would feel better or agree to talk to someone else. It wasn't that he was slow, but rather that there was no need to overcomplicate things and argue about irrelevances like the others did. This intellectual distance had made him a unique member of the gang.

Now, however, his thoughts were swift and ruthless in their direction. He found that he was constantly examining the path that they were taking and calculating the best ways to move from place to place. Where would be the best place to go if they had to run from a threat? His mind could easily calculate the best route. Where would be the best place to observe the land and scout ahead? His mind could find an answer to that as well. He found this jumble of thoughts confusing in the extreme. He supposed the intellectual straightforwardness that he had become accustomed to would never return. He would have to adjust to his new self, both physically and mentally.

_At least I am getting used to my body now._ Spike thought abruptly. _It seems that running awakened something within me._

It was then that he took a hard look at the gang. Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, and Ruby were all ahead of him and were walking at a very fast pace. In fact they were doing more of a fast trot than a walk. Beside himself, Spike noticed that Ducky and Chomper were both keeping up from a distance from the front. Ducky was lost in her mournful thoughts which explained her slower pace, whereas Chomper actually looked physically exhausted. Spike reflected on the fact that it would be difficult for a young sharptooth to keep up with a pack of fast biters. He momentarily felt pride at his pack's great speed. _Wait, no!_ He mustn't think as if he was part of a pack! He was still Spike and they would soon get all of this resolved! He did not actually believe those thoughts, but he had to tell himself that nonetheless. He feared the alternative.

His thoughts were interrupted by a panicked screech in the skies above. It was Petrie!

_He is giving an alarm call of some sort._ Spike immediately deduced. _Wait!_ Spike thought to himself. _How do I know that?_

It was then that the entire gang heard an unmistakable sound.

**Roar!**

They turned in a panic. It was Thud and Screech! If they were around then Red Claw must be close behind. They had to flee while they still had a chance.

"Run!" Came Littlefoot's panicked order as the gang ran headlong through the gorge.

Spike burst into action. His large hind limbs sent a river of dust from where he was previously as he barreled forward into the narrow gorge. The introspective thoughts of earlier were completely forgotten as the engrained survival instincts of the fast biter took over. He was not strong enough to fight off the threat; therefore his only option was to flee. The only question was: flee where? How were they supposed to flee from a predator that was much stronger and faster than they were? Their options were very limited.

Chomper struggled to keep up with his now much faster friends, but he was beginning to fall behind. Sharpteeth of his kind simply were not made for sprinting. They could stalk prey for long distances and sprint for a short period of time, but this chase was simply too much for him. Something would have to give soon.

The dust from the advancing gang was not improving his situation any. He couldn't see what was in front of him through the impermeable blanket of grey, which burned his eyes. All that the little biter could do was follow the dust trail and the sound of thundering footsteps in the hope that he did not lose his way.

**Screech!**

Chomper took a quick look behind him and immediately wished he hadn't. The two fast biters were rapidly advancing on him and were edging close to the rock walls of the gorge. _They are trying to ambush me!_ The panicked sharptooth realized. However at that moment the sharptooth noticed something that he would later reflect on for quite some time. Thud had slowed his advance somewhat and seemed to be nodding at something further ahead. _What?_ The little biter thought in his confusion.

Chomper looked ahead, not breaking the rapid pace of his run, and noticed what Thud was pointing at. It was a crevice in the rock wall! It looked narrow enough that the two large fast biters would not be able to enter it, but perhaps he and his friends could. He knew what he had to do now.

"Guys!" He shouted as loud as he could at the massive cloud of dust in front of him. "Run into the crevice now!"

As Chomper began to head in the direction of the crevice he could see several forms emerge from the pervasive dust. He nearly collapsed when he was brushed along his side by one of the gang who was obviously thinking of running and little else at this point.

"Watch it!" Came the exasperated voice of Cera.

Chomper continued his advance as several of the others ran in front of him in their headlong sprint to safety. As he was within several body lengths away from the opening he felt the impact from a fast biter which had leaped over and landed in front of him. He then felt a nudge from behind him.

"It's alright, Chomper!" Came Ruby's voice, which was then followed by Littlefoot's. "Keep running!"

The fact that Ruby and Littlefoot had his back greatly improved the spirit of the exhausted sharptooth and he speedily entered the safety of the crevice just in time.

"You think that will stop us!" Came the mocking voice of Screech. "You have only delayed dinner. Red Claw does not take kindly to those who invade his territory!"

At the mocking tone of their adversary, something snapped within Littlefoot. How dare they imply that his pack was weak with their mockery!

"If Red Claw wants us for dinner then let the fool try and catch us!" Littlefoot said in defiance, as Chomper and Ruby looked on in horror. "He must be even stupider than you to choose you two as his help!"

"Littlefoot!" Chomper said in a muffled hiss. It would not do them any favors to motivate the fast biters to chase them down. What was Littlefoot doing?

"You can't even catch a few younglings! What does that say about you?" Littlefoot finished his statement with mockery.

"Argh!" Screech screamed at the insolence of the young fast biter. "I will enjoy killing you, runt!"

The entire assembled gang then could hear the sound of running feet as the two predators were obviously trying to find another entrance into the crevice.

"What are you doing?!" Cera exclaimed at Littlefoot. _He is acting like a threehorn on an ego trip._ The yellow fast biter thought to herself. It wasn't as if she didn't share his sentiments. She most certainly did. But this behavior was very unlike Littlefoot and that concerned her. "This isn't going to help us any."

"Littlefoot?" Chomper questioned the former longneck.

"Why?!" Littlefoot muttered. "Because he insulted us! How dare he?!" He hissed out that last few words.

Littlefoot may not have been openly declared to be the leader of the gang, but he was accepted as such by the others nonetheless. In their many adventures, his opinion or words had swayed the views of the group on several occasions. Now, as a sharptooth, the mantle of leadership entailed a different meaning. He could not let others insult and belittle his pack! A sharptooth not only relied upon his strength and wits to assert dominance, but also his reputation. A good bluff could be just as useful, and much less dangerous, than a frontal charge; and a reputation could be ruined far easier than it could be built. Littlefoot was unaware of these considerations in sharptooth life but his instincts nonetheless cried out their disapproval at being insulted. He simply had to act and he did so.

Chomper looked at the brown fast biter with a little more understanding. When his parents had confronted other sharpteeth in the mysterious beyond, his father had often acted with extreme arrogance and vulgarity to everyone but his allies. Well, sometimes even to the allies as well. Chomper figured that was his way of asserting his strength over others. His father had told him on many occasions that Chomper didn't have to care about what anyone else thought about him, so long as they didn't think of him as weak. If you are viewed as weak, his father had told him, then you will be open to challenges. If you were open to challenges, then you probably wouldn't live that long. Eventually some upstart would bring you down. For this reason, a reputation of being powerful was almost as important as being powerful. This made Littlefoot's reaction much more relatable to the young sharptooth.

"Well..." Chomper began. "We can't outrun them so we need to get them to lose our trail."

"Well that is a nice thought, Chomper, but how do we do that?" Cera asked in an agitated voice.

"We leave the cave and run downwind! If we go downwind then they can't smell us. Obviously, if they can't smell us then they would follow us downwind." Ruby proposed.

"That would take us back towards the valley though." Spike noted. "Red Claw is probably in that direction."

Ruby felt dejected that her plan would not work. They had to think of something! Otherwise, they would soon be eating Littlefoot's words, or rather, someone would soon be eating them.

"Water!" Ducky cried. "I smell water. Yep, yep, yep!" The former swimmer called out in happiness. Even though this body was not made for the water like she was in her previous form, she still felt great affinity for the water. The fact that she and the rest of the gang were also incredibly thirsty also played a role in her reaction.

Spike sniffed the air. "Yes! I smell it. It is deeper in this cave."

"Water, that's it!" Chomper jumped up and down in glee. "Water will help us lose those sharpteeth!"

The others looked at Chomper with an unsure expression for a few moments until Cera finally spoke up.

"How exactly is water going to help us?" Cera asked. "Are you trying to make sure that they have a drink to go along with their meal?"

Chomper rolled his eyes before responding. _My father would find Cera's wit amusing._ He reflected. "Come on, guys! I will show you!"

The gang then ran through the small cave that they found themselves in and advanced until they could see light up ahead.

"There is the exit!" Littlefoot cried, as the others advanced to the opening.

The sight that greeted them surprised them all.

They were in another gorge, this one being far wider than the one that they had escaped from, and there was a shallow river flowing between its two rock walls. Was this the river that they were suppose to follow?

"That is it!" Ruby exclaimed. "I guess the crevice brought us to the river early. Now we can follow it until it forks."

Littlefoot looked at her questioningly. "You didn't know this was here, Ruby?"

"No." She responded. "I only knew of the path that we are on. If I knew about this path, then we would have taken this path. This path we would have taken."

"Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I am thirsty." Cera replied, and proceeded to drink from the newly found source of water.

"Yuck!" The water tasted rancid. Upon further inspection Cera found that the water had an almost translucent green coloration and was distinctly slimy. _Gah! Even the water is bad here!_

"What is wrong with the water?" Littlefoot asked Cera, with concern evident in his voice.

"Like I would know!" Cera retorted. "It is just bad water!"

"We need to get moving, guys!" Chomper exclaimed.

As if on cue, a concerned voice called out from above. It was Petrie!

"They have found a way in! They gonna find you!" Petrie warned.

"Where are they?" Ruby asked.

"Very close. They enter from hole in rock wall!" He answered. "They be that way!" As he said this he signaled with his beak towards the horizon. They were no more than a few minutes run from the gang! Neither group had seen the other, with Petrie being the obvious exception, but they would no doubt do so in the near future.

"Chomper, what was your idea?" Ruby asked with extreme concern.

"Quick, guys! Run into the river!" Chomper commanded and began to wade into the river.

"I hope that you know what you are doing." Cera muttered, before likewise jumping into the water.

Seeing that everyone was now in the river, Petrie excluded, Chomper told them the rest of his plan.

"Run along the shallow part of the river and follow me." The little biter commanded.

The entire gang ran through the shallows, following Chomper's lead. None of them knew what the little biter had in mind, but each hoped that his plan would be successful.

...

"Where are those runts?!" Screech screamed in annoyance.

He knew that Chomper and those fast biters had entered this gorge. Their scent was overpowering. They had to have been here within the last few moments, but now there was no sign of them. Surely they couldn't have run that fast? Hiding was out of the question with his well-trained sniffer. If they were still here then he would find them eventually.

He attempted again to capture their scent. His nostrils captured a multitude of smells, but he focused upon the signature of young fast biter. There was no new information there. Just the same smell wavering smell of a recent romp through the sand. _Wait!_ He sniffed the air again. _There they are!_ He could smell a whiff of fast biter odor from several minutes away. He looked in the direction of the odor and smirked at what he saw. There was a flyer circling in the air quite a distance above the ground. It seems that the flyer was not smart enough to hide the whereabouts of his friends. _Lucky for us._ Screech thought to himself.

With a sharp nod to Thud, he ran in the direction of the wavering odor. They both would eat well today.

...

A pair of eyes watched from behind a rock that was embedded in the shallows of the river. The owner of the eyes began to smirk as he saw the two fast biters sprint away in the opposite direction. He was quite glad that his plan had worked.

"They bought it!" Chomper whispered to the others.

The others arose from behind their hiding places. Cera had a smirk on her face, whereas both Littlefoot and Ruby displayed prideful smiles as they looked in Chomper's direction. Spike and Ducky, however, still did not quite understand what had transpired.

"What happened?" Ducky inquired. "How did we trick them?"

Chomper turned and smirked at the green fast biter. "We ran into the water which removed our smell trail." He stated matter-of-factly. "And Ruby came up with the other idea."

Ruby picked up where he left off. "I rubbed on that water plant." Ruby stated. "That put my smell on it so that they could smell it. Obviously, since my smell was on it they would chase it." Ruby continued with an amused smirk appearing on her face. "And since Petrie is carrying it they are chasing him. Him they are chasing!"

Littlefoot added. "He dropped the plant upwind, so he should be back here at any time." He said that sentence while looking at the skies. "Then we will continue to Hanging Rock."

"How did you two think of that?" Cera had directed her question at Chomper and Ruby. Although she attempted, poorly, to hide her feelings on the matter, she was quite impressed with what she had just seen. Sure, they had tricked sharpteeth in the past, but this was above and beyond many of their previous tricks they had played on hapless sharpteeth. She was quite curious how these two had come up with the idea.

"Well, sharpteeth will follow smell, so you need to make sure they will follow the right smell in the wrong way." Ruby spoke in her usual sing-song manner. "My daddy used a similar trick several times in the mysterious beyond in order to lead sharpteeth away from the nest. If you make them go the wrong way, then you don't need to run away. But if you have to run away, then the sharpteeth aren't going the wrong way!"

Chomper then began with his explanation. "Well... My mommy and daddy would hide their smell so that they wouldn't scare the food. They showed it to me when we did a joint hunt one day." Realizing what he had just said, he attempted rephrased his statement. "Uh... I mean..."

"We get it." Cera dryly stated.

Littlefoot then fixed the small sharptooth with a contemplative look. If he were honest with himself at that moment, then he would admit that he already knew the answer to the question in his head. However, he had to broach the subject.

"So..." Littlefoot began uncertainly. "So you have hunted and killed before? Not just eating what your parents have killed and not just eating insects... But you have killed other dinosaurs?"

There. The question was finally out in the open. Littlefoot supposed that the answer didn't matter anymore. However, it would explain so much about Chomper's temperament and self-control. He always knew that the little biter had to restrain himself while he was in the valley, but how far did that go? How could one go from killing others to befriending those of the same kind? Even though the answer to this one question was in itself irrelevant to how Littlefoot viewed Chomper, its implications that followed from it would be quite important indeed. Littlefoot reflected that his conversation with Chomper couldn't wait much longer.

Chomper sighed. "Yes, Littlefoot. That is how we survived on the island." Chomper reluctantly replied. "I... had to hunt." He finally admitted to his friends.

_There. I admitted it._ Chomper thought to himself. _I can't expect them to understand, but I hope they aren't mad at me. I had no choice!_ The poor sharptooth had kept much hidden from his friends. Answers were sometimes wise to hide, especially if the questions they answer were never explicitly asked. Chomper didn't fully realize the toll this subterfuge had taken until he finally broke his silence on one of those taboo questions. Now he felt mentally exhausted.

Even though most of them had already guessed the truth, this knowledge would have frightened or horrified the gang back when they were still herbivores. At the very least, it would have caused many of their number to never look at Chomper the same way again. But, whether it was due to the overwhelming events of the previous day or the changes to their personality, it did not have the same impact now. In fact, as the other members of the gang processed his answer, only Littlefoot responded verbally.

"I guess that we already knew that." Littlefoot admitted. He paused for a moment and then continued. "It came in handy today. We would be dinner right now if it wasn't for you and Ruby." He then gave both of them an appreciative smile.

Cera gave an affirmative grunt which Spike repeated. Ducky, who was still stunned by their escape and Chomper's admission, remained silent in an unreadable expression. Before anyone else could respond further, they were interrupted by Petrie.

"They run off. We must run now!" He called to the others.

Littlefoot nodded. "You're right, Petrie. We need to get moving again."

He then looked at the path ahead before responding.

"Okay, everyone! Run in the shallows of the river to hide our smell. We need to follow the river until it forks."

Without further discussion the gang followed Littlefoot's directive and began to speedily continue their journey. They had lost a significant amount of time running and hiding from their pursuers. They needed to get back on track.

A few moments into their resumed journey, however, Chomper felt a slight tapping on his back.

"Huh?" Chomper muttered. He looked up to see Ruby looking down at him with a prideful smile.

"You did good back there, Chomper." The rose colored fast biter affirmed.

Chomper smiled and responded back. "So did you."

With mutual nods to one another, the two sharpteeth rejoined the others and continued their journey to Hanging Rock. They were not sure what the following days would bring, but they knew that they would face it together.

* * *

**Now that the gang has begun to come to terms with their physical changes, how will they adapt to the other, more subtle aspects of their transformation. What will happen when hunger begins to take its toll? Find out in the next chapter, Chapter 12: Hunger!**

* * *

**Thanks for the responses, everyone!**

**RichardTerminator:** Yeah, I don't think a visitation from Doc would be a good development for the gang. It is never a good thing when both Red Claw and Doc are both after you. While we are on the subject, what is Bron going to think when he hears the news? Hmmm...

**Gordhanx:** Thank you for the kind words. Obviously the gang is going through a trying time and the only companionship that they have left is each other. I wanted to illustrate that fact quite vividly as it will explain the later actions of the gang and their parents.

**Ranellope forever:** Yes, in this fanfiction the Stone of Cold Fire is real. Although, as we have seen in the previous chapters, it is not at all like Pterano had imagined it.

**NorthAmericanJaguar:** Indeed, I will have to abstain from telling you the answer to that question as it would entail giving away some of the plot. Suffice to say, they are not changing back anytime soon.

**Littlefootxcera:** Well, they have met Red Claw's cronies, but they do not know the identities of the gang (sans Chomper) yet. As you might imagine, however, the fast biter duo will not take kindly to the fact that the gang has outsmarted them.


	13. Chapter 12

**************As noted previously, italics indicate dreams or thoughts.**

* * *

**Chapter 12 Hunger**

**_"Real hunger is when one man regards another man as something to eat." ― Tadeusz Borowski, This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen_**

_Where is that fork in the river?_

To put it mildly, Cera was not pleased with recent events. In the span of one day she had turned into a sharptooth, tried to avoid waking the adults, escaped from being killed by her own father, wandered around in the mysterious beyond, escaped from being killed by Screech and Thud, and then continued to wander around the mysterious beyond. She was more than ready to put this journey to an end and finally get a moment of rest. But that was when another aspect of her change made an appearance.

**Growl...**

Her stomach growled loudly in protest at its lack of attention during the eventful day. She thought back to the events of the last day and realized that she had not eaten since the evening before they changed. Perhaps it was time for them to eat?

_Oh. Right._

Eating now would entail something quite different to the gang. They couldn't eat green food anymore. Their appetites now called out for meat. A horrifying thought then entered the former threehorn's mind.

_If I am already this hungry then what are we going to do? Ruby claims that we still have six more days of traveling. How are we going to hold up?_

She swallowed hard and raised her snout in the air. Well, if they had six more days of travel ahead of them then she would simply have to put up with being hungry then wouldn't she? The alternative was unacceptable. She then attempted to clear her mind and ignore the hunger pains that had begun to make an appearance. She was only moderately successful.

Spike was walking a bit behind the yellow fast biter. Ducky and Chomper were to his right, whereas the others were walking just behind Littlefoot at the front of the pack. They were still following the river in a much larger gorge then the one that they had ran for their lives in. They had long since stopped walking in the water and instead moved back to dry land, as Ruby indicated that they probably had enough room between them and the two fast biters. With that simple change their pace of travel had increased greatly.

However, the green fast biter had something more pressing on his mind than the speed of their travels or the introspective thoughts from the day before. Much like what his mind was fixated on in his herbivore days, he was again focused upon food.

_Food._

That single instinctual drive was one that was quite familiar to the fast biter. He also was well acquainted with the unpleasant sensation of hunger. Not from his time in the valley, of course, but rather from his time traveling with his friends in their numerous incursions into the mysterious beyond. However, this time it was different. Before he would simply feel two sensations: the yearning to eat and the painful absence of sustenance. Now, however, there was another feeling that he couldn't quite place. A feeling that felt alien in his mind. He couldn't quite quantify or even qualify what he was feeling, but he could tell that it was slowly growing in power. The little fast biter began to feel growing dread at this unknown phenomenon that was taking place within his mind.

The gang had been silent during the last two hours of their journey, as there was nothing of any significance to say. They simply had to travel until they reached the fork in the river. Then they could continue on the final, and longest, leg of their journey.

Due to the unpleasant sensation in his stomach, and the foreign feelings in his mind, he decided to finally break the silence and breach the subject with his friends.

"We need to eat soon." He muttered to the group. After the words left his muzzle he reflected that he could have put it in more articulate terms, but he gave a blunt statement for a blunt problem. It was something that had to be addressed.

Cera was the first to stop. She looked at Spike with an unreadable expression. The others then proceeded to stop and look in his direction. Even Petrie decided to join in the discussion, taking the opportunity to come to rest on Littlefoot's back.

"Well..." Littlefoot began. "There is nothing we can eat here." He then took a quick look around at the landscape and gestured with one of his forelimbs. "Dirt, dirty water, and rocks." He mentioned what all of them could observe in the scene around them. "Even if we wanted to hunt..." Cera and Ducky both cringed at the mention of that possibility. "I don't think there would be anything here."

Chomper nodded at Littlefoot's assessment. "I haven't smelled anyone with my sniffer besides us." The little biter stated. "There is no food here." He added without thinking about the implications.

Cera snorted. "Been keeping track have you?" She was still not open to the idea of hunting. The fact that Chomper's mind had obviously moved to that possibility did not sit well with her. However, she did not escalate her statement of disapproval beyond the sarcastic rebuke.

"If we get out of this gorge then we will be in the land of tall grasses." Ruby stated. "There should be more food there, more food there should be!"

"What food would that be?" Cera asked skeptically, placing emphasis on the word 'food'.

Ruby looked at her a moment with an uncertain expression. She was sure of the answer, but unsure how the yellow fast biter would accept it.

"Fish and eggs, mainly." Ruby answered. She had no problems with the first possibility, although the second one still brought up emotions of shame and disgust. However, she was wise enough to know that mentioning that there could also be other dinosaurs to eat would not sit well with any of the others. In fact, that possibility was unacceptable to Ruby as well. Just because she had accepted that she was a sharptooth at an intellectual level that did not mean that she accepted it emotionally. She was still torn up over her predicament just like the others.

"Yuck!" Cera loudly retorted. Ducky recoiled at the idea as well. Only Spike and Petrie seemed to have no visible reaction to the news. Their hunger had already begun to change their perspective on things, although neither one of them were quite aware of that fact yet. Petrie was significantly hungrier than the others due to his smaller size and use of flight, whereas Spike was hungrier simply because he was Spike. The change had not changed everything.

Littlefoot paused for a moment. "Guys, I guess we don't have much of a choice." He then looked at Cera, who he knew would be the most stubborn of the gang. "But right now we need to get there. We are not going to find anything here."

With nothing more left to be said on the matter, the gang then resumed their trek towards the fork in the river.

...

The light of the day was beginning to wave as the bright circle began its journey towards the horizon. They only had a few hours of light left before the darkness of night would be upon them. The gang had left the gorge that had been both their trail and prison for the last several hours. They now were following the river through the flatland which abounded in this part of the mysterious beyond. It made for quite a contrast with the geologically active land they had exited not so long ago. The existence of a small hill was a curious sight in this otherwise flat expanse that seemed to stretch in all directions. If Petrie wasn't in their group, Littlefoot would have suggested climbing it to have a closer look at their surroundings.

**Caw! Caw!** Came the call of Petrie from quite a distance away. Littlefoot could deduce that it was not an alarm call, although he couldn't explain how he knew that. Rather, it seemed to convey excitement. Littlefoot decided that they should run to the hill and see what Petrie had observed.

"Up the hill!" He called.

The others followed immediately. The hill was not particularly steep, but it was large enough to obstruct their view of the path ahead, being about the height of two full-grown longnecks. Petrie had been resting on Littlefoot's back when the flyer decided to take a look for himself, obviously he had found something interesting. Ruby, Cera, and Littlefoot were nearly at the top of the hill, while the others lingered some distance behind. Ruby finally broke ahead of the pack and gawked at what she saw.

"There it is!" Ruby called out as the gang walked over the crest of a small hill.

The view that greeted them was both majestic and horrifying. The river that they had followed for quite some time could be seen forking into two smaller rivers in the distance. It was hard to estimate the distance with no discernible landmarks, but Ruby estimated it was at least two hours away. That was not what concerned her, however. There was no grass to be seen! This was supposed to be the land of the tall grasses. What had happened? She then took a closer look at the river and noted that it was much shallower and greener than she had remembered. _I guess the water has turned bad here as well._ She though dejectedly. _So much for fish._ The only vegetation that could be seen were a few water plants beside the river and small patches of grass emanating from the shore of the water. This was not a good omen at all.

"Is this the land of tall grasses?" Littlefoot asked with great concern.

Ruby looked dejectedly at the brown fast biter and confirmed his query. "I am afraid so, Littlefoot. I see no food here. No food do I see."

"Well this is just great!" Cera yelled in agitation. "We walk all day and nearly get ourselves killed in the process, and what greets us? More walking!" She continued to fume as she scraped the ground with one of her hind legs. "What shall we do now, oh wise pink one." Cera asked mockingly.

"I am leading the right way!" Ruby responded in a defensive manner. "I cannot control the water or plants. If I could control them than I would control them!" Uncharacteristic for Ruby, the last sentence was nearly growled out.

Cera continued to fume but said nothing further in response. Littlefoot was concerned by this behavior in the two female fast biters and decided to stop the conflict before it could escalate further.

"Stop, guys!" Littlefoot pleaded. "Nothing can be done about it. We have to decide what to do now." He stated somewhat weakly. It was only then that he realized that this journey had already taken more out of him than he originally supposed. In fact, he was exhausted.

A yawn from Ducky seemed to confirm that the others were exhausted as well.

"I am ready for sleep. I am. I am."

Spike grunted in agreement as he would have done in his previous form, but then seemed to remember his new vocal repertoire. "I am tired as well. Should we rest since there is no food to be found anyway?"

Littlefoot seemed to ponder this for a few moments before responding.

"I guess that would be a good idea." He then yawned as well. "We can continue the journey tomorrow." He looked one last time at the desolate scene in front of him. "Hopefully the land of tall grasses isn't all like this."

Ruby then thought about their situation and mentioned something to Chomper. Chomper then put his small forelimb to his muzzle as if he were in thought, before whispering back at Ruby. Littlefoot and Cera were both perplexed by the behavior of those two and were about to ask what they were up to, but then Ruby mentioned something.

"The wind is blowing towards the land of tall grasses. But if anything were heading our way then we could see them coming for quite some time from this hill." She began. "Perhaps we should sleep on this hill tonight?" She questioned.

Cera thought about that for a moment and she actually found that to be a reasonable idea, although she was still upset about their predicament. The thought of being far up actually seemed rather inviting to her. _It is far better to be on high ground, then down below._ Some voice insider her head seemed to insist. She probably would have questioned why she felt that way if it wasn't for the fact that she was so tired and hungry. She was too exhausted and frustrated to give anything else much thought.

"Sounds good to me." Littlefoot stated. "I guess that we can move on tomorrow."

As the gang began to dig scrapes upon the dusty hill overlooking the flatland beyond, they were left wondering what would become of them now. They had no shelter, no food, and no water except for the green river which smelled awful. They were truly alone in an unforgiving world. They eagerly awaited the world of dreams, as each knew that the next day would bring more hardship.

...

Chomper reflected that he now knew why his father had always found fast biters so annoying.

Even since they had gotten up in the morning, they had been walking at a brisk pace. But what is a 'brisk pace' to a fast biter is only a few steps down from a run to a small tyrannosaurus. As a result, the poor biter was utterly exhausted.

_How can they do it?_ The young sharptooth asked in his head. _I can barely keep up!_

It would have been one thing if they were all full grown, he reflected. At least then he would be much larger than them and his much larger stride could help him keep up. But as it was he was quickly becoming exhausted. He was thinking about asking Littlefoot for a break when Ruby suddenly stopped the gang.

"Hang on, everyone!" The rose colored fast biter suddenly interjected and held up a forelimb as if to shush them. She seemed to listen for a moment as a small smile suddenly appeared on her face. "Do you all hear that?"

Chomper struggled to listen and nearly signaled that he did not hear anything out of the ordinary, but then he heard it.

"Ground fuzzies!" He hissed silently. At this affirmation, Ruby nodded.

"Yes, ground fuzzies!" Ruby confirmed. "Perhaps this could take the edge off of our hunger?"

"So let me get this straight." Cera began in an interrogative manner. "You want us to hunt down ground fuzzies for food? Do we have any other option?"

At this Littlefoot interjected. "Cera..." He began. "We can't eat plants anymore. We have no choice. At least it isn't other dinosaurs."

Cera paused for a moment before responding. "Well, maybe we can still eat green food after all. The wish hasn't changed everything has it?"

Ruby interjected. "But you have smelled what the green food smells like now. It smells terrible."

"And bitter." Spike interrupted. The symphony of smells that he had experienced as a leafeater was much less than what he experienced now, but he could notice a distinct difference. Before the green food called to him with the richest and sweetest smells, but now it was all bitter with little distinction between the plants. His sniffer had a focus for other smells now... and Spike knew it. He wished that Cera would accept this fact sooner rather than later.

"Well, I am going to try anyway!" Cera stated stubbornly. "The rest of you can enjoy hunting."

Chomper gave an exasperated sigh. Well, at least the others were beginning to think reasonably. He just hoped that they would be able to catch some food. He was hungry.

Cera had taken position next to one of the water plants beside the river. She smelled the plant and gave a noticeable retch. It obviously did not smell appetizing to her.

"How is it?" Spike called. He was somewhat curious to see if Cera could eat the green food. Even if it wasn't tasty, if they could keep it down then it could sustain them on this journey. Perhaps her stubbornness could pay off after all. Presuming, of course, that she could actually eat the green food.

"I haven't eaten any yet." She replied weakly. However, her pride wouldn't allow her to accept failure without trying so she decided to dig in despite her reservations.

With a large bite she took a large branch of the plant into her mouth and ripped it off. It took all of her fortitude to avoid spitting it out right there. It tasted rancid, like rotten sweet bubbles. It was easily the most revolting thing that she had ever tasted. With some effort, however, she began to grind the leaves with her sharp teeth and swallowed the unappetizing mass of foul-smelling, bitter-tasting sludge into her throat. She sucked in a shuddering breath. _This stuff is awful!_ She admitted to herself. She was now crying, she noted, as her eyes had watered during the entire attempt to eat green food. Perhaps she should have tried a smaller bite?

"How is it, Cera?" Ducky inquired.

Cera paused for a moment before turning around and answering.

"It is awful, but I think that I can keep it down. It's just that..." Without warning, Cera suddenly had the violent urge to heave. As she felt the warm sledge return from its destination, she knew what was coming. Her attempt had all been for naught.

The others looked on in disgust and concern as Cera vomited in front of them for the next several moments. When the former threehorn wouldn't stop retching and shuddering, Littlefoot and Ducky came by to comfort the poor fast biter. She looked worse than she did before, as if the sickness had taken a lot out of her. Her stubbornness from before was forgotten as she turned to despair.

Cera sucked in a few shuddering breaths as the retching finally stopped. She had never been so sick in all of her life. It seemed that green food was denied to them forever more. There was only one option now...

"Why? Why?!" She cried out in frustration as she tore at the ground with her forelimbs. Littlefoot and Ducky both jumped back in order to avoid the sudden outburst. The emotional impact of their situation had finally dawned on the yellow fast biter and she did not take kindly to the revelation. She finally stopped after several moments and Littlefoot responded with a concerned expression.

"Cera? Are you back with us?" He asked simply. He didn't ask if she was alright. Nothing was alright anymore. But he could make sure that she was at least back in control of herself. Her display of violent rage wasn't directed at any one dinosaur, but rather at the situation itself. Nonetheless, Littlefoot had to make sure it was out of her system.

"Yeah." She replied weakly.

She then looked at Chomper with a saddened expression. It almost looked apologetic, yet mournful at the same time. It was an expression that deeply troubled the little biter.

"We have no choice now. Do we?" It wasn't really a question, but Chomper nodded anyway.

Cera then closed her eyes and bowed her head for a few moments. After Ducky resumed her position at Cera's side, she waved Littlefoot off. Even though Cera wouldn't admit it, the two girls needed some time to confide. He and the others could begin to attend to their new duties now. He walked away from the two females and stopped several paces away from the others.

Littlefoot then called for Chomper's and Ruby's attention with his forelimbs.

"Okay... How exactly do we do this?" He whispered.

_Oh boy._ Chomper thought to himself. _Where do I even begin?_

...

"Alright, guys! The trick with ground fuzzies is to outsmart them." Chomper began. He had a noticeably more chipper tone that he had displayed in the previous day. If he would have thought about the situation at length he might have admitted that it was because this reminded him of when his father had trained him. This mixture of nostalgic happiness and concern for his friends made for a confusing jumble of emotions. "They are fast so you have to trick them and trap them."

"Okay..." Spike thought out loud. "How exactly do we do that?"

"Well... Uh." Chomper began uncertainly. "You can hear them, can't you?" At Spike's nod, Chomper continued. "Okay, so you know where they are. Now you have to find their holes."

"Holes?" Littlefoot asked.

"Yes, holes." Chomper confirmed. "They each have a few holes that lead to their nests. If one dinosaur blocks the hole, while another digs then it is an easy meal!"

"So let me get this straight." The familiar voice of Cera made an appearance once again, apparently she had recovered enough from her ill-advised meal earlier. "One of us traps them, while the other one digs."

"That's right, yeah." Chomper shrugged.

"Well then I call digger!" Cera proclaimed. "I am starving!"

Chomper rolled his eyes, as Littlefoot interjected.

"Alright, Cera. But we all need to share the catch. None of us have eaten for a long time. We are all hungry."

With their directions having been laid out to them, the seven friends began their first hunt together. It was obvious that none of the gang were quite prepared for what that entailed, as the somewhat sickened expressions on Ducky's face indicated, but each of them knew that there was no other way. They had begun to accept the reality of their situation.

The gang has scattered throughout the immediate area in order to search for the entryways into the nests of the small ground-dwelling mammals. They were completely new at this, of course, so they were having difficulty. But Chomper had some prior experience in this regard.

"Found one!" He exclaimed. He then took up a position beside the hole, with his forelimbs at the ready. No prey would be able to get past him, he resolved. He would show the gang how it was done.

Eventually the others found a few more entrances as well. After a few moments the entire gang had found entrances with the exception of Ducky and Petrie. They decided to help others watch over their holes. The task of drawing the critters out was in Cera's paws at this point.

"Okay, Cera. Try to dig them out!" Chomper encouraged. "Either you will catch one or you will be sending them our way. The ground fuzzies panic easily."

Cera would have responded with a biting remark at his acknowledgement of prior hunting experience, but she kept such commentary to herself. She couldn't very well criticize him, now could she? She was hunting just like the others.

With a cautious demeanor, she allowed her head to approach the ground, listening for any sign of the elusive ground fuzzies. She listened carefully and nearly brought her head to rest on the ground.

**Scrape... Scrape...**

_There you are._ Cera thought to herself. _You won't escape from me!_ She thought the last sentence with extreme pride and an almost giddy sense of anticipation. If it wasn't for her focus on the hunt at hand, she might have questioned why she was thinking in such a manner. She was beginning to think like a sharptooth would and her budding hunting instincts were beginning to take hold. But she was not fixated on her thoughts at that moment, so she was not distracted from her task.

With both forelimbs aimed in front of her, the yellow fast biter began to dig into the parched earth. The digging was difficult as the ground had obviously not seen moisture for quite some time. It was a wonder that even the ground fuzzies could live out here. After some time she could begin to feel the hardness of the surface give away and give way to a moister, more malleable layer of soil.

She stopped for a moment. The sounds of ground fuzzies were much more prominent now. _They are scared! _Cera noted. This observation gave her some pause. A diminishing part of her psyche took this observation with great apprehension. She had lived in fear for all of her life at the threat that sharpteeth represented. How could she now become the killer? True, it was just ground fuzzies and not other dinosaurs, but the fact remained that they were about to kill for food. A line was about to be crossed, but did they really have any choice? The other part of her mind, however, was driving her to go for the kill. She was hungry and food was present under the soil. The time for thinking was over and the time for action had arrived. At any other time she might have refrained from acting until she had a better hold over her emotions, but not in her current hungry state. She was out for blood.

Suddenly the ground gave way and her clawed paws were in the tunnel. She let out a surprised yelp as the scurrying mass of rodents went in various directions in the ground tunnels. However, one ground fuzzy was caught up in the panic of the moment.

**Snap!**

The small rodent's neck was snapped in a single swift stroke of Cera's clawed paw. Its small, broken body lay prone on the bottom of the dirt tunnel. Cera was left looking at her victim with a stunned, yet curious expression. She was not sure what to make of her actions emotionally. _What have I done?_

Meanwhile, the others were attempting to catch the ground fuzzies as they attempted to escape from their nest.

Chomper, having had previous hunting experience, easily caught the first rodent that had the misfortune of crossing his path. A second victim was crushed by one of his hind limbs as he was dispatching the first with his powerful jaws. After a few moment a latecomer tried to escape through the same exit. After a brief chase it too was dispatched. He resisted the urge to immediately devour the tasty morsels, as they needed to share the catch. There may not be enough to go around otherwise.

Ruby had also secured a single ground fuzzy that had scurried along her path. She was new at hunting ground fuzzies, but she had eaten snapping shells and fish before. _If I can handle fish then I can handle ground fuzzies._ She thought. She did feel some remorse when she looked at the frozen look of terror in the little mammal's face, however. Fish as a general rule did not give her an impression of any suffering that they could have experienced, which helped to desensitize her to fishing when she was a fast runner. In fact, she had not even given it much thought until she went to a more herbivorous diet in the Great Valley. Nonetheless, she felt a profound sense of apprehension at her recent act. Besides the one egg she had stolen several years ago, she had never killed a land dweller.

The other two teams, consisting of Ducky and Spike within one and Littlefoot and Petrie in the other, had only minor success in their hunting efforts. Spike was able to catch a smallish mammal, whereas Ducky was unable to make a successful catch. Littlefoot and Petrie were likewise unable to obtain any ground fuzzies, as none of them had taken the tunnel that those two were guarding. They were unable to catch that which was not there to begin with.

"How did we do, guys?" Chomper then asked the members of the gang. "I got three of them!"

"I've got one." Ruby confirmed.

"Same here." Spike noted.

There were several moments of silence. Chomper decided to force the issue and ask the others how they did.

"Cera? How about you?"

"Huh?" Cera asked. "Oh, I got one." She noted hastily. Discomfort and unease was still present in her voice and that was not lost on Chomper. Nonetheless he did not press the issue.

"None headed our way." Littlefoot affirmed. "We didn't catch anything."

"That's okay, guys. That is why we are sharing." Chomper stated. "A pack shares the food it catches."

The mention of the group as a 'pack' was not lost on Cera and made something in her arise in protest. "Oh, so we are a pack now are we?" She asked warily. "You must be glad that we have all changed."

Chomper looked shocked and immediately clarified himself. "What! I didn't mean that. But we are all sharpteeth now and..."

Littlefoot interrupted on the little biter's behalf. "We may be able to fix this and change back, but we need to eat, Cera." Littlefoot responded. "Surely sharing isn't that bad?"

Cera took a deep breath before responding. "Fine. But don't think I am going to sit back and let us suddenly become a 'pack' all of a sudden." She then couldn't resist taking one final dig at the purple sharptooth. "Unlike some others, I am not enjoying this."

Chomper had an indignant look on his face, but did not say anything in response.

Spike then readdressed the topic at hand. "So... Um. How do we split this up?"

Chomper sighed and then made a suggestion. "Well, we have six ground fuzzies. That is one short to give us all one."

Petrie sighed. "Me guess me could take half. Me smaller than rest."

Littlefoot looked upon the flyer with a concerned expression. "Are you sure, Petrie?"

At Petrie's nod, Chomper began to rip one of the small mammals in half. This gory sight made the other members of the gang recoil in a mixture of disgust and horror. The horror was in equal measure for the sight they were seeing and for the actions they were about to take. Were they really going to eat another living creature?

Littlefoot was the next to speak. "I will only take half as well. Let everyone else take one." He was not going to let others take less on his behalf. He and Petrie had not had a successful catch. Thus it would be unfair for them to take more than their fair share.

At Littlefoot's request Chomper took the two sides of the small mammal into his jaws and dropped them in front of the duo. The severed head and torso of the mammal was in Littlefoot's corner, while the lower half rolled near Petrie. The sight of such gore made a confusing mixture of emotions rise up in Littlefoot. He felt a pang of horror in what he was about to eat. Not only did he participate in the killing of these innocent creatures, but now he was going to devour them like a sharptooth. _Because I am a sharptooth. _The former longneck admitted morosely. The entire scene made secondary thoughts rise up in the brown fast biter. The most notable of these questioned what his mother would have thought if she had seen this. He shook his head and tried to clear his mind, he had no choice at this point. Therefore, he licked his lips and prepared to take the first bite.

With some trepidation he put his snout to the rodent and inhaled deeply. The smell that greeted his nostrils was an amazing combination of sweetness and musk. This conveyed an irresistible desire within Littlefoot. Every part of his mind seemed to cry out at that same moment. _Food!_ Shaken by this sudden response, Littlefoot licked his lips again and noticed that moisture was dripping from his mouth. He was salivating heavily. _Am I really that hungry?_ With his body and instincts both commanding him to eat the disgusting looking clump of flesh, he decided to put aside his doubts and take a bite.

It tasted... Good.

Very good.

This horrified some part of him that actually hoped that it would taste awful. After all, they had just killed other living things! Surely such a foul act did not deserve a tasty meal. But yet some part of him enjoyed every aspect of his small meal. He enjoyed the metallic tasted of blood which permeated across his tongue and gushed towards his throat. He enjoyed the texture of cracking bone as he crushed the body of the small mammal with his sharp teeth. He enjoyed the savory taste of the delicate meat which was now surging down his throat. Emotionally speaking it was one of the best meals that Littlefoot could remember, but it left him unsatisfied. He was still hungry. He wanted more. But he could control that impulse for now. He hoped.

"How is it, Littlefoot?" Chomper asked curiously. The others had held off on eating their meals until after Littlefoot had finished. Even though they had all changed into sharpteeth, there was some part of them that told them that meat was unappetizing. In a way, eating meat was yet another step in a direction none of them were particularly wanted to go. Hence their apprehension.

"It's great!" Littlefoot said in an almost giddy voice. He looked at Petrie's portion but barely restrained the impulse to take the flyer's meal. _I am still in control._ He told himself, although he was uncertain if he truly was. A small part of him wondered if eating the mammal was a good idea. Something unknown and horrifying was awakened in Littlefoot and he knew it.

Littlefoot's exclamation deeply unsettled both Ruby and Chomper. Ruby knew that the sudden change in demeanor indicated that hunger was already having an impact on their temperament. How long could they go with small meals before they finally lost control? She couldn't answer that question, but the possibilities scared her. Chomper also observed his change in demeanor and feared that Littlefoot might be losing more of himself than Littlefoot realized. He decided not to say anything at this time, as there was nothing that could be done about it. But he knew that he would have to speak to his friend soon.

As if almost on cue, the hunger felt by the other members of the gang reached a breaking point and the entire gang began to devour their respective meals. It was not much, but it did take the edge off of their hunger. They all hoped it would be enough.

They were still five days away from Hanging Rock.

...

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Littlefoot and the others had been travelling from the moment the sun appeared on the horizon until the beginning of twilight and had found nothing of significance. There was no food to speak of. No predators, besides themselves. No clean water. The grass had become more plentiful, but that was of little use to them in their new forms. The hunger that had been alleviated the night before had come back with a vengeance. The fact that the gang now have had the experience of eating meat seemed to make the situation much worse. They no longer were acting like hungry leaf-eaters. Now they were behaving like the hungry sharpteeth that they were. Littlefoot knew this now, but he had no idea what to do.

Suddenly he heard a commotion from behind him.

"Watch it!" Cera angrily exclaimed. Spike had accidently crashed into her. She unconsciously raised her head and crest in a show of dominance. She was about to learn that this was an unfortunate choice.

Littlefoot turned around to see the commotion begin to turn into a confrontation.

"Speed up and you wouldn't have that problem!" Spike growled in defiance. He didn't know why he was suddenly angry, but Cera's outburst and demeanor angered him more than anything that he could remember. He didn't realize the dominance component of the conflict he now found himself in, but he felt its effects nonetheless. He too unconsciously raised his crest in a counter-display of dominance. The confrontation had turned dangerous.

"Guys..." Littlefoot began. For some reason that he couldn't quite explain he knew that this disagreement was different.

"Oh no!" Chomper exclaimed. He knew all too well what was happening

"I'll show you!" Cera roared and lunged at Spike with her clawed forelimbs.

Spike deftly dodged Cera's attack and responded by snapping at her retreating forelimbs. His attack missed its target by inches and he fell into a defensive stance.

Both fast biters were now circling one another, growling fiercely. Each one was trying to find an opening in order press the attack to the other. Unknown to the two participants, each was fighting the other for dominance. Though each one was not thinking about killing at that moment, each one certainly could have ended the other's life in the process. Friendship and companionship was absent from their minds in the heat of their personal vendetta. The unfortunate combination of hunger and ignorance of their own instincts had led to this dangerous situation.

"ENOUGH!"

Both fighters stayed in their defensive stances, but each increased their distance from one another. The other four sharptooth meanwhile were looking on in awe at the brown fast biter that had made that order.

Littlefoot then stepped in-between the two combatants, giving a steely look to each of them in turn.

"Just what do you think that you two are doing?!" He demanded.

"He needs to watch where he is going!"

"She needs to learn respect!"

"I will show respect when you earn it!"

"Why you!"

"ENOUGH!" Littlefoot exclaimed again. "What has gotten into you two? We can't begin fighting one another! We have to work together!

**Caw!**

Littlefoot recognized that call. It meant that Petrie had found something!

"Can both of you knock it off for now?" Littlefoot asked the two.

The two remained facing one another with fierce looks on their faces.

"We will finish this later." Spike threatened.

"Agreed." Cera affirmed.

The two then held their glares at one another, before finally retreating back to opposite sides of the pack. The confrontation was over for now.

Littlefoot sighed, but he decided that he couldn't do any more at the moment. All he could do is hope that they would work it out peacefully when they came back to their senses.

**Caw!**

At Petrie's reprise of his call, he signaled the others to follow his lead. If they hurried then they could meet Petrie halfway in the flood plain that they now found themselves. The others, being exhausted and hungry, ran with only lukewarm enthusiasm. It took several moments for the flyer to meet up with the others.

"What is it, Petrie?" Littlefoot asked. They were still four days away from their destination, so he obviously hadn't found Hanging Rock. That left only two possibilities: a threat of some kind or food. Littlefoot really hoped it was the later.

"There is a herd of longnecks!" Petrie replied. "They seemed to have stopped by the river."

To say that this perked Littlefoot's interest would be an understatement.

"How far away are they?" Was Littlefoot's next question.

"Petrie not sure." The flyer replied. "Me high up when see them. Probably a day away."

"So, who cares?" Cera asked dismissively. "We can't talk to them and even if we could they wouldn't believe us."

Chomper looked at Ruby with an inquisitive expression to which she sighed and simply shrugged.

"Well..." Chomper began. "We do need to eat." He knew the subject probably wouldn't get a positive response, but they had to begin to accept reality at this point. They were hungry, they still had days to travel, and no other food source had presented itself during the last day. They had to begin listening.

"You can't be serious!" Cera exclaimed. "We go a day without food and you already want to start eating other dinosaurs?"

"We ate very little yesterday, Cera." Chomper stated matter-of-factly. "Everyone is hungry."

Ruby interjected at this point. "We have already started to snap at one another." She stated the obvious fact. "I think that we are beginning to enter the hunger madness."

"Hunger madness?" Spike questioned.

"It is what I have been trying to tell you guys!" Chomper said excitedly. "When sharpteeth get hungry for too long they can get... unpleasant." He continued. "They can get angry fast... And even attack others." He ended his last sentence by glancing at Cera and Spike, his insinuation clear to all.

"We can't let that happen again. Oh no, no, no!" Ducky stated.

Cera reacted with an exasperated grunt. "You guys can't be serious!" She then looked at Ducky. "Do you want to hunt other dinosaurs, Ducky? Do you want that on your mind?"

Ducky looked away but shook her head nonetheless. She didn't know what to think anymore. She didn't want to turn on her friends, but she didn't want to kill either. Both options seemed abhorrent to her.

She then looked at Littlefoot. "Why don't you tell them that this is insane? We can't sink to this level. Otherwise we are no better than the sharpteeth." She overlooked the fact that she was a sharptooth now. She had accepted the undeniable physical transformation, but had not yet accepted all that entailed. It was the one last bit of her old life that she was holding on to. She feared if that fell by the wayside then she wouldn't be able to recognize herself anymore. But there was another consideration as well.

"And what if we change back somehow? How could we go back knowing that we killed other leaf-eaters?" She asked sadly, she had gone beyond anger at this point. "How could we live with ourselves?"

Littlefoot looked away from the gang and took a deep breath. _Well, that lays it all out, doesn't it? _He thought to himself. He was not prepared to consider taking the ultimate step to their hunger problem, but he could not deny Chomper's concerns. He was faced with yet another unwinnable situation. Either he would betray his former life or risk losing his current one. There was also the possibility of them turning on one another because of the hunger madness... He looked down for a moment, deep in thought.

Petrie was confused and concern by Littlefoot's lack of response. "Littlefoot? You okay?"

"Yeah..." He answered wearily. He then raised his head and turned to look at the gang again.

"I am not ready to start hunting, Chomper." As Chomper tried to interrupt, Littlefoot gave him a calming wave of the forelimb. "But you are right. We are getting more angry and unpleasant, and it is because we are hungry." He shook his head slightly. "But I just can't take that step. I can't kill. I just can't."

He then looked sadly at the little biter. "If you need to hunt then I won't stop you." He released a breath that he didn't know he had been holding. "And I can't blame you either." He then looked pointedly at Cera. "None of us can." He looked at the rest of the gang with a haggard expression. "If anyone needs to hunt then you may. But I am not ready to..." He trailed off as he couldn't finish the statement, but his meaning was all too clear to everyone present. If one needed to hunt then they may. The group could no longer judge.

Silence permeated through the group for several moments as everyone digested what had just happened.

"I guess we should get to sleep then, huh?" Spike inquired of the others.

"Yeah. We need to get to rest so that we will be rested." Ruby agreed.

Cera didn't say anything but her own yawn confirmed that she had the same thoughts as the others.

Without much further discussion, the gang prepared scrapes for the night and began to enter the world of dreams. None of them quite knew what the next day would bring, but each felt trepidation at the possibilities.

They were still four days from Hanging Rock.

...

Chomper awoke with a start.

The little biter looked about in a confused manner. _It is still dark. _He observed. _What woke me up?_

The little biter then looked around him at the assembled gang. Spike and Ducky were sleeping side by side. Each trying to keep the other warm in the somewhat cool night. It was obvious that the hunger madness was beginning to take a toll on the former stegosaurus, as he thrashed in his sleep. _A hunting dream._ Chomper noted in his mind. _And not a happy one._ Chomper then turned his attention to Petrie. He was sleeping beside Ruby and had a rather serine expression on his face. _Ground fuzzies could easily keep him fed._ Chomper noted on account of his size. _If only we were in a better place._

Looking at Ruby, Chomper noted that she was twitching in her sleep. "Daddy... run..." She muttered in her sleep. "Egg..." She trailed off. Chomper had no context for what she was dreaming about, but could recognize that she was distressed. As gently as he could, Chomper placed his forelimb on her back. The former fast runner then seemed to calm down and her twitching ceased. He didn't like to see anyone suffer, especially his friends. He hoped that they understood that.

Finally, he took a look at Cera. The yellow fast biter had been a thorn in his side ever since they had changed days ago. She constantly resisted his recommendations. She was initally against eating the ground fuzzies and now she was against the gang hunting. However, he didn't feel anger at her, rather he felt pity. He had been there when Mr. Threehorn had chased him down and nearly killed him. He had heard his cries of rage. As a result, he had some appreciation of how deeply engrained his distrust and hatred of sharpteeth must have run. It was no surprise that his daughter would share the same opinions. What misery must it be to be changed into what you fear? He looked upon her with a sad expression. He hoped that she would eventually accept the reality of her situation. She didn't deserve to suffer like that. No one did.

He looked at the scrape that Littlefoot had made only to see something that surprised him. _He is gone!_ Being concerned for Littlefoot's well-being, Chomper began to sniff the air around the scrape. He would follow Littlefoot's scent and see what was wrong with his best of friends.

He followed the scent trail for a while and noticed that it seemed to be heading towards a nearby hill that was a bit away from the river they were following. Was Littlefoot seeking high ground in order to scout? Chomper was perplexed by the brown fast biter's actions and decided to proceed stealthily. After some time he heard Littlefoot's voice.

"Mother, I don't know what to do."

Chomper looked up through the grass he was hiding behind. His mother? His mother was here? _But I thought that she died long ago, that was what Littlefoot had told me._ The sharptooth thought confusedly. She then took a closer look at the scene ahead of him.

Littlefoot was resting on his haunches at the top of the small hill. His eyes were fixed upon a certain star in the sky. It was the same star that he always looked upon when he was uncertain or sad. It was the star that he first noticed after his mother had died and part of him thought that perhaps it was her in the Great Beyond. As he had learned with the rainbowfaces, there were things that he didn't quite understand. Even if it wasn't her, he really needed her guidance now.

"I'm a sharptooth now and I don't know what to do." He shook his head. "I can't eat green food, I can't talk to my grandparents, and I can't go back to the valley." He choked up a bit. "You always told me to listen to my heart, but I am not sure what it is saying." He paused for several moments. "If only I had a sign. I don't want to disappoint you." He cried softly for a few moments. He was no longer in front of the gang so he could afford a moment of weakness. He was a pack leader now and they didn't show weakness in front of their followers, some part of his mind stated. But he was also a child. A child who even as a longneck had seen and experienced far too much in his short life. He figured that he was owed some respite.

"Littlefoot?" Came the soft voice of Chomper from the grass behind him. Littlefoot jerked up at the voice, but then bowed his head and spoke softly in a voice of resignation. "Chomper." He then waved his forelimb to signal Chomper to come join him at the peak of the hill.

The two sat for a moment just looking at the stars. Chomper had no idea where to begin. What had Littlefoot been doing? Why was he talking to a star? It made no sense to him.

Littlefoot looked at the sharptooth and noted his confused expression. Deciding to cut to the chase, he asked Chomper the obvious question.

"How much did you hear?"

Chomper responded truthfully. "I heard you talk to your mother."

Littlefoot closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them, focusing again on the star. "My mother died protecting me. Did I ever tell you that?"

Chomper shook his head. Littlefoot had told him that his mother had died, but not the cause.

"The great sharptooth, Red Claw's son, killed her." Chomper jerked back at that admission. _No wonder why Littlefoot wanted him killed. _ Chomper nodded at Littlefoot to continue. "We traveled for many days to find the Great Valley. Our families were gone, either separated from us or..." Tears welled up in the brown fast biter's eyes once more. "And he followed us the entire time."

He looked at Chomper directly with a steely look in his eyes. "We had to be rid of him so we tricked him using Ducky as bait..." Chomper was transfixed as Littlefoot described the plan in detail and how it was carried out. It was chilling. They had killed the terrible sharptooth with the ruthlessness and cunning that only sharpteeth were supposed to have. Chomper had been mocked by some other sharpteeth as being a leaf-eater in disguise because of his gentle temperament, but his friends appeared to be sharpteeth in disguise based upon their story. It seems that fate had simply removed the disguise...

"He was the same kind as you." Littlefoot noted. This made Chomper feel something curl in his stomach. With Littlefoot's history with his kind why did he help Chomper as a hatchling? Why didn't he trample him? It made no sense to him. Here was a longneck, er... former longneck, who was obviously capable of making hard choices. Why did he not do the logical choice when Chomper was born and not simply dispose of a future threat? Chomper was confused by this.

As if predicting the young sharptooth's question, Littlefoot began again. "But you weren't a threat to us. You were just a baby and I wouldn't hold you responsible for what others of your kind had done." He smiled at Chomper as tears flowed from both of their faces.

"Even with the one that killed my mother..." He restrained a growl in his throat. "We only acted because he was a threat."

Chomper thought for a moment before responding. "So you never hated sharpteeth?"

Littlefoot shook his head. "I hated what they did, but I suppose that I knew they had no choice." He paused for a moment. Understanding the double meaning of the fact that Chomper asked that particular question, Littlefoot quickly added: "Cera... Has a somewhat different view."

Chomper looked down.

"She lost her mother and all of her sisters to sharpteeth. She doesn't hold you responsible for that, Chomper, you know that." He paused for a moment to see that Chomper was nodding. "But... She was always the most worried of us concerning your instincts."

Chomper looked at him with an understanding look. Littlefoot did not need to tell him this as Chomper was quite aware of Cera's concerned (or sarcastic) statements whenever he was hungry.

"I thought that she was overcautious when I was still... a leaf-eater." He admitted. "But now that I am on the other side, I see the truth. See was completely right. We are dangerous."

Littlefoot continued. "I think that is why she is so scared of the idea of hunting, Chomper. She fears what she is becoming." He paused for a moment. "So do I." He admitted reluctantly. "If we take it... that far... where does it stop?" His voice broke for a moment. "How do we keep from losing ourselves?"

Littlefoot paused and looked down with a sad expression. "How can I harm another? How would I live with myself?"

Chomper could only nod in response as Littlefoot had obviously understood the situation far better than he had given him credit for.

"How did you keep under control in the valley, Chomper?" Littlefoot suddenly asked with an awed expression. "These thoughts... these feelings... They are enough to drive me mad."

Chomper gulped. It seemed that things were a bit worse than Littlefoot's outward expression conveyed. "I had plenty of food in the valley, Littlefoot. That makes a difference." He then added. "Plus I have had years to learn control. All of you haven't."

Littlefoot nodded. "Perhaps it was a good thing we were forced to leave the valley then. I would have hated to be responsible for someone's... end"

Silenced enveloped the scene for several moments. Chomper had numerous conversations with Littlefoot in the past about many things, but this was by far the most intimate and enlightening of them. It seemed as if the former longneck had decided that there was nothing left to hide. Chomper then realized that this wasn't just a conversation; this was also a cry for help. His poor friend had no idea what to do. Chomper reflected for a moment. Littlefoot was as helpless as a newborn sharptooth because, in a way, that was exactly what he was. He had helped him after he hatched into the world, so Chomper resolved to help him in his time of need.

"What do we do now, Chomper?" Littlefoot asked. "My mother is silent." At the little biter's confused expression, Littlefoot explained. "My mother always told me to let my heart guide me and that I should listen to it because it whispers so softly." He paused for a moment. "But I don't know what it is telling me now."

Chomper thought for a moment and recalled Littlefoot's earlier words.

"Why did you go back to help Cera during your journey to the valley?" Chomper asked rhetorically, thinking back to the story that Littlefoot had told him earlier.

"Because she was my friend, even if she wasn't acting like it." Littlefoot answered.

"Why did you stop the great sharptooth, Red Claw's son?" Chomper asked immediately after.

"Because he was threatening us." He answered.

"Who are us?" Chomper asked rhetorically.

"Well... Me and my friends." He answered, not understanding this line of questioning.

"So the decisions that lead you to the valley involved helping your friends?" Chomper inquired.

Littlefoot nodded as comprehension was dawning on him.

"Well then, how do you help your friends now?" Chomper asked Littlefoot while pointing at the brown fast biter's chest.

Littlefoot stopped for a moment and sucked in a deep breath. He then answered in an exhausted voice.

"We have to... We have to hunt now, don't we?"

Chomper nodded and gave Littlefoot a sad smile. "We can't wait any longer, Littlefoot. Some of us are already losing control."

Littlefoot looked in the direction where Petrie had located the longneck herd earlier and sat silent for several moments. Chomper did not know what to make of the fast biter's reaction. Surely he understood now? They had no choice.

"How can I hunt my own kind, Chomper?" It was asked softly. Not in an accusatory tone or in the manner of a veiled rejection. No, this was Littlefoot trying to wrap his head around something that no being should ever confront. Littlefoot had known all too well in his short life what it was like to be the hunted. What it was like to be chased to the brink of exhaustion and despair. What it was like to lose loved ones. What it was like to fear the dark and the shadows it might bring. Knowing all of these things, how could he visit such horrors onto another longneck? How could he willingly share such pain? Intellectually he knew that he and the gang had only one option at this point, but emotionally it was a different story.

"I know that we have to, but..." He paused. "I don't know if I can bring myself..."

He sucked in a shuddering breath and closed his eyes for a moment. It was only after a few moments that he opened them and spoke.

"Will you help us, Chomper?" The former longneck asked softly. "I don't think the others can do this alone... I know that I can't."

Chomper did not answer but instead embraced Littlefoot in a hug. Both were in tears, but were in noticeably better shape than moments before. Each had the relived expression of a person who had made a major decision in life. The decision was now out of their hands, it was just up to them to make it a reality. Littlefoot reflected that perhaps fate had planned this for a long time, as neither he nor any of the others would be alive right now if it wasn't for their friendship with Chomper. A sharptooth being hatched by, and becoming friends with, leaf-eaters, what were the odds of that? As he had pointed out, all of his good decisions were based upon protecting and nurturing his friends. He would not change that now. Never mind how distasteful the consequences may seem, his course of action was clear. Tomorrow they would begin stalking the longneck herd.

"Thank you, Chomper." Littlefoot graciously spoke. "I needed that."

"That's what friends are for." Chomper replied.

Littlefoot looked to the star once more with a much happier expression. _I guess mother wasn't silent at all. I was just looking for her voice in the wrong place._ He then spoke again to Chomper.

"I think my mother would have liked you, Chomper." Littlefoot noted. "You're one of the few dinosaurs that I know who were as caring as her."

Chomper didn't know what to say to that so he simply looked at Littlefoot with an overwhelmed expression.

Littlefoot smiled at the sharptooth before speaking again. "Well we need to get back to sleep." He then yawned. "I don't know about you, but I will need rest if we are going to convince the others." He paused for a moment. "Especially Cera."

Chomper wearily nodded at Littlefoot's observation. The two sharpteeth then headed back towards the sleeping area. A very eventful day was surely ahead of them all.

* * *

**So there you have it. Littlefoot has finally come to the hard realization that either the gang must hunt or lose themselves to the hunger madness. Will he be able to convince the others? Will he be able to carry out what needs to be done? Will they be successful in such a murderous enterprise? The answers to these questions and many more will be revealed in the next few chapters...**

* * *

**Once again, thank you all for your responses. It is always a nice feeling to know that your work is appreciated.**

**Littlefootxcera**: Thank you for the kind words. Well, as you have now seen, the hunger had affected them dramatically. Now we will soon see how they deal with this horrific development. With regards to your question about Ruby: Yes, there are feelings there, but they are mainly the sort of feelings that form between a child and a caregiver. They are not indicative of a budding romance between the two.

**NorthAmericanJaguar**: Thanks! I hope that you enjoy this new installment.

**Anon 1**: Thanks! Well, I don't want to give away the romantic bonds that form later on in the story. But suffice to say, I don't think either one of the planned pairings will be what anyone expects. Please note (for those readers who are concerned about the insertion of romance into the story) that these characters are still kids, and as such the romance will not go beyond what would be expected in a PG story.

**RichardTerminator**: Indeed you are correct, when Bron (and Ali) find out about Littlefoot's "death" there will be an outpouring of grief and rage. This will have severe consequences for everyone involved. As for what those consequences are, well, you all will simply have to see when the time comes...

**gordhanx**: Thank you very much for the kind response! I have be trying to keep the character interactions and thought patterns in-character as much as possible, because in a story such as this most of the conflict is internal, rather than external. The progressive changes are beginning to take their toll (as you have seen in this chapter) and this will consequences in the very near future.

**Thanks everyone for the responses! I should have the next chapter posted within a week.**


	14. Chapter 13

**Important Note:**

**Beginning with the next chapter,** **the rating of this story will be adjusted from T to M. Accordingly, you will need to adjust the ratings filter to allow M ratings in order to see new updates of this story. I am hesitant to do this as I think that it will decrease the number of visitors to this story, but I think that future plot developments will require a ratings change.**

**Additionally, I would like to thank Scream96 (aka. brekclub85) for allowing me to use his names for Chomper's mother and father in the story. I wanted to use those names in homage of his story, ****The Land Before Time: Sharptooth Valley**, which was the first "gang turning into sharpteeth" story that I ever read. To a great extent his story helped inspire me to write my own idea of the concept. I would strongly encourage all of my readers to read his excellent work if you have not already done so.

* * *

**Chapter 13 Memories of blood**

**_"When the Fox hears the Rabbit scream he comes a-runnin', but not to help." ― Thomas Harris, The Silence of the Lambs_**

"Urgh..." Chomper moaned as the bright circle emerged from behind thick mid-morning clouds.

The brief respite of sleep was soon removed from the little biter as the new day had begun. With the resumption of consciousness also came the return of the memories from the previous night. Chomper realized that today was going to be a truly eventful one. Littlefoot had accepted the necessity of acquiring food at any cost. They would soon have the difficult duty of convincing the others and preparing for a hunt. Hunting dinosaurs was a far different proposition than hunting ground fuzzies or buzzers. Even besides the danger involved, there was also the emotional component. When Chomper had hunted with his parents on the island he was racked with some guilt despite knowing the necessity of his actions. He could only imagine what the others would go through. How much pain had Littlefoot gone through to even have him consider the possibility of hunting his own kind? It seemed that he had been considering his situation for quite some time. It was something that Chomper resolved he would bring back up with the former longneck. However, right now they had a more important matter to attend to.

Chomper slowly rose from his prone position and rubbed his eyes. He needed to wake Littlefoot so that they could get started today. As he looked at the slumbering brown fast biter, and considered what the gang would soon be going through, Chomper thought back to the first time he hunted with his parents. It was only a few moon cycles after he had learned leaf-eater from Ruby...

...

**Many seasons ago:**

"Alright son, it is time that you learned how to do this."

Chomper nodded reluctantly, but was uneasy at his father's words. Although his mother was more sympathetic to Chomper's reservations due to Chomper's unique entry into the world, Dein was less than impressed with his son's objections. That way that he saw it Chomper would have to hunt for his food sooner or later, and it would be preferable for him to learn these skills while he was still young. Sentimentality was unbecoming of a sharptooth, in his opinion. His son would simply have to learn the hard facts of life. Chomper simply couldn't live off of buzzers and his parent's kills forever.

Dein sighed at his son's half-hearted response. "Don't be like that, son. It is something that every sharptooth has to do." He paused for a moment to sniff the air. "Ah, swimmer." He muttered to both himself and his mate. "It looks like we have found you a target, Chomper. It smells like a small swimmer. Stay close behind and observe what we do."

Chomper observed as his mother went into a stalking stance, almost bringing her head and tail parallel to the ground. Shortly thereafter, his father did the same. They then slowly edged through the forest as silently and stealthily as two large rexes could. They obviously had their sniffers fixed on the young swimmer. If such a swimmer was a small enough catch for him, then obviously it wasn't worth the effort of his parents. Such a meal would barely be an appetizer for them. No, his parents were trying to find him suitable prey in order to test out his hunting skills. Chomper had deep misgivings about this.

_How could I kill a leaf-eater?_ The little biter asked himself? _They have feelings just like us. My friends in the valley even raised me despite being a different kind. _He reflected for a moment. _How can I now harm others?_

He and his parents had several heated arguments about this. At first, his mother was sympathetic to his plight and suggested that he could go a little longer before hunting, provided that he practiced his stalking skills. Chomper excelled at stalking, but he never did kill his quarry. Most of the time the poor leaf-eaters didn't even know he was there. If they did see him and run away, then Chomper would simply let them flee. He couldn't stomach the idea of killing another dinosaur. Even the thought of it would make him think back to his five friends in the valley or to Ruby, the friendly fast runner who taught him the leaf-eater language. This reluctance to kill was a trait that his parents noticed in him and for some reason that concerned them.

Finally, his father had told him in no uncertain terms that he **would** hunt the next day. "You can't survive off of our catches forever, Chomper. You will have to learn how to kill." He had hoped that his mother would grant him another reprieve on this task, but his hopes were for naught. "Your father is right, Chomper. This is something that you are going to have to learn." Terri was a good mother who could even be accused of coddling her son, but she had to draw the line somewhere. It was better for him to deal with this reality now, then later on when he had no choice in the matter. With both of his parents looking at him with looks that brokered no disagreement, Chomper had reluctantly complied. His parents cared for him deeply, even to the point of invading the valley in order to look for him. He did not want to disappoint them.

So here he was observing his parents in preparation for his first actual hunt. Despite his deep misgivings, his mind was working overdrive in observing and thinking about what his parents were doing. _They are avoiding the leaves in order to move quietly. I didn't know they could move that quietly._ Thus far he had not seen anything different in their technique than what he had used in his "mock hunts" with leaf-eaters. They were simply using them with far more finesse and skill than he thought possible. He then noticed that his mother was signaling to his father. She made her right forelimb get close to her eye and then bobbed her head once. That was immediately followed by his father signaling to his nose and bobbing twice. She nodded and then made a gesture for Chomper to catch up to them. Chomper walked very carefully as he did not want to ruin his parent's work. After a few moments, however, he had arrived at their location.

"Okay Chomper, what did you notice in observing us?" His mother asked.

Chomper pondered for a moment before answering. "Well... Both of you were very quiet." At his mother's nod, he continued. "You were able to see one swimmer and daddy was able to smell two."

"Very good." His father affirmed from behind the duo. "The mother of this swimmer is in the lake to our left." He laughed softly for a moment. "Quite possibly looking for her lost youngling." He paused for a moment before pointing with his forelimb at an opening in the forest canopy. "The youngling, on the other hand, is right in front of us. Take a look."

Chomper allowed himself to be picked up by his father and looked through the forest canopy. A young swimmer was walking slowly in a narrow gorge quite a distance away from the aforementioned lake. The gorge seemed to have a narrow stream in it that traveled from a mountain into the gorge before eventually empting into the lake. It appeared as if there was only one way in or out of the gorge, and it was in plain sight. However, it looked like that the swimmer had trapped herself into a corner, as she was slowly walking back to the gorge's entrance. She obviously would not be able to make it before they could catch her. With a glum passing thought, Chomper noted that the swimmer must have been no older than Ducky.

His mother then spoke to him. "So son, how would you proceed?"

Chomper thought for a moment. They were testing his mind more than his body, he noted, and he didn't want to disappoint them. After a few moments he gave his answer.

"The swimmer is trapped in the gorge, so I would cut off its escape." Chomper began.

"Good. Then what?" His mother asked.

"Stalk it until I can trap it into a corner. Then attack." He responded quickly.

"Good. If you attack headlong, even with the escape route cut off, there is the possibility that it can outmaneuver you. If you attack by surprise, the prey has little chance of escape." His father was the one to speak this time. "It is nice to know that you have been listening to my lessons even though you seem to have refused to use them until now." He looked at his son with an odd mixture of both pride and annoyance. Chomper looked away in embarrassment. "Now is the time, Chomper." At his son's nod, he continued. "We will go after the swimmer's mother, while you go after the youngling." He ordered. "Do not let it escape." The last sentence, although spoken without anger or reproach, brokered no disagreement. Chomper quickly nodded and ran into the grassland that resided between the gorge and the forest, apparently eager set about his task.

He did not hear his parents talk to one another after he stalked off.

"He will try to warn the swimmer, won't he?" His father asked with a sigh. He didn't buy his son's feigned eagerness.

"Undoubtedly." Terri confirmed.

Dein sighed for a moment. "I think one kill will break him of this behavior of his." He stated. "I can take out the adult swimmer easily by myself. It smells weak." He affirmed. "Perhaps you can give Chomper a helpful nudge?"

Terri nodded in agreement, but then spoke softly to her mate. "You realize that this is going to hurt Chomper?"

Dein nodded, before sighing in resignation. "He has to learn sometime."

Terri smiled. "I know, but he has feelings for leaf-eaters because he was hatched by them." She paused for a moment. "Then there is that one longneck that Chomper talks about... He apparently was there when he hatched." He looked at her mate with an amused expression. "Chomper seems to think of him like a brother or something."

Dein grunted in annoyance. "Being hatched by leaf-eaters would mess up anyone." He then spoke with incredulity. "A longneck for a brother, ha! What is your point, dear?"

"My point, oh joyful one." He bristled slightly at her teasing tone. "Is that after I help Chomper make the hard choice, we should help him deal with his feelings." He outright rolled his eyes at this idea. "We may not understand it, but he obviously cares about the food dearly and we should help him with that." She finished with a pleading look at her mate.

Although this discussion was annoying him, Dein was not totally oblivious of what his mate was saying. Chomper would need some counsel on this matter. This, however, did not mean that he had to be happy about Chomper's abnormal behavior.

"Fine, dear. But I think that you should handle it." She smiled at his acquiescence. "I don't have the patience for it."

Terri smiled broadly. Her mate put up a rough exterior, but he had a good heart underneath his well-practiced demeanor. Sometimes he just needed a hand in expressing it. "Alright, dear. I suppose I should supervise Chomper now, and you have dinner to catch. Unless you need help, that is." She added with a slightly teasing voice.

"I can take care of it!" He responded with annoyance at her playful teasing. "Just make sure that our son doesn't play with his food, will ya?"

With a slight huff, Dein went off to hunt the mother swimmer. Considering how much she had riled him up, Terri actually felt somewhat sorry for the swimmer. It most certainly wouldn't stand a chance now.

She then headed off in the direction of the gorge. It was time to see her son in action.

...

Chomper had quickly run to the opening of the gorge, before stopping. The time for stalking had arrived. He had to sneak up on the young swimmer in order to catch it in ambush. A headlong rush could lead to the swimmer escaping. For the moment he put aside his misgivings from earlier and went into a stalking stance. _You can do this, Chomper._ The young biter told himself. _It is just like what you have done in the past. _Except, of course, he would actually have to catch and kill his prey this time.

While walking in his stalking stance, he went from boulder to boulder. He made quick rushes from one to the other, before resting for a time and checking his surroundings. Speed was not the main consideration now. Stealth was the main concern.

At one of these stops, he took a deep breath and examined the scents from around him. He could easily pick out the swimmer from the scents blowing in his direction from the interior of the gorge. It was a small female, he could deduce, and it was already injured.

_An easy kill._ Some part of his mind pointed out. He shook his head at this thought. There was something about that line of thinking that felt so natural, but yet it also seemed like a betrayal of those who helped hatch him. The guilt that he had tried to suppress during much of this journey had returned in force.

He looked out from behind the boulder he was hiding behind and immediately jumped back. It was the swimmer! She was walking in a slow and unsteady manner, as a large gash on her leg indicated a nasty injury. It was obvious to Chomper that this swimmer would not live for very long in her condition. The only question was whether he would be the cause of her demise or if something else would do the job for him. He figured that he was the most humane option.

He walked out from behind the boulder and made no attempt to hide himself.

"Ah! Sharptooth!" The little swimmer called out and immediately turned back in order to flee. Unfortunately for her, the injured leg couldn't handle the strain and she tumbled to the gorge floor. She began to thrash as she tried desperately to get up from her prone condition, but it was clear from Chomper's perspective that she was not going anywhere in a hurry. He slowly advanced towards his prey...

...

Terri watched from the ridge above the gorge as her son advanced towards the young swimmer. _Perhaps I won't have to urge him on after all. _She noted. _He seems to be going in for the kill._

She decided to stay back and calmly observe her son's handiwork.

...

Chomper advanced slowly on the injured swimmer. However, upon looking at the cowering female, an image immediately arose within the little biter's mind. The swimmer reminded him of Ducky, one of the leaf-eater's who had helped him after he hatched. This unwanted thought caused him to question himself. _Maybe I could let her get away. _He thought uncertainly to himself. _I could hide her until her leg got better._

"Don't run away!" He called out to the swimmer.

The swimmer stumbled a short distance, before falling again. Her leg injury severely hampered her ability to move. However, the sudden voice did not help her concentration either. did the sharptooth actually speak?

"You can speak?" The swimmer asked in surprise.

"Sure! My name is Chomper. What's yours?" He responded in his usual innocent manner.

"Um... I am Arlan." The swimmer spoke, still confused and frightened by her predicament. "Are you going to kill me?"

Chomper paused for a moment. Was he? He still wasn't sure what to do at this point. Part of his mind told him that he needed to learn to hunt and that he owed it to his parents to make a kill. However, some other part of him found that this was wrong. He was conflicted in what to do.

"I just chased on instinct. It is what we do." Chomper dodged the question. He was uncertain if the swimmer actually had a chance on that injured leg of hers. If she did, then he would try to save her and just tell his parents that she got away. Otherwise, he would make it quick.

The swimmer looked at the little biter with a mixture of relief and concern. She knew that she would have little chance if the sharptooth attacked her, so she decided to listen to him. What did she have to lose at this point?

"Follow me and I will take us out of the gorge." Chomper suggested. "We have to hurry. My mommy and daddy are here." At the swimmer's gasp, Chomper continued. "I don't think you want to meet them."

The little biter then gently grasped the swimmer's forelimb and helped her off of the hard ground. With an appreciative nod the swimmer followed the sharptooth towards the gorge entrance.

...

Terri sighed. _I figured that this would happen._ She thought to herself. _I guess that Chomper needs some motivation._

As she was about to roar and alert her son of her presence, she heard a loud roar followed by an alert call.

**Roar!**

**Caw... Caw... Urk.**

_Well there goes the mother. _She thought with satisfaction._ Time to help my son with the last loose end._

**Roar!**

...

The swimmer heard the commotion from a distance and recognized the roar of a sharptooth followed by the panicked call of her mother.

"Mommy! I am coming!" Arlan yelled in despair, as she attempted to limp faster with limited success.

It was not lost on Chomper that the swimmer's call was cut off suddenly. _My parents have done their part. _Chomper thought. _It is up to me now, isn't it?_

**Roar!**

Chomper looked up and noticed that his mother was looking at him from the ledge of the gorge. He had an audience now. An audience that expected him to succeed. He would not be able to hide Arlan now.

He looked in front of him and took a closer look at the swimmer. They had just traveled to within visual range of the entrance into the gorge after a particularly slow trek, which attested to the crippling injury that the swimmer had. He could smell the blood dripping from the wound and now noted that it had a tinge of infection. _How did I not notice that?_ Chomper asked himself. It appeared that his sentimentality and nostalgia for his past friends had blinded him to the realities of the present. If she were to live, the best that this swimmer could now hope for is to suffer from a painful infection as an orphan and to live the remainder of her short life crippled. It was obvious what the humane choice was.

"Oh no! There is another one!" Arlan exclaimed before looking at Chomper with fearful eyes. "What do we do now?"

Chomper didn't reply, but instead walked up to the young swimmer.

"Chomper?" The swimmer asked.

Chomper stopped just in front of the swimmer before looking upon her with an apologetic expression.

"Arlan. I am so sorry. I really am."

With a sudden flurry of movement, Chomper leapt upon the hapless swimmer and struck at her throat with his powerful jaws. After only a few seconds of struggle, it was over. At least he had given her a quick end.

As he stepped away from the now dead swimmer, he looked upon his bloody handiwork. Confirming visually what he had just done, he then looked upon his blood-soaked red forelimbs. For the first time in his short life he had killed another dinosaur. A line had been crossed that he could not return from. A part of him mourned the innocence that he had lost.

He then embraced the corpse of the fallen swimmer and began to weep.

...

After an indeterminate amount of time, Chomper heard the thundering footsteps of an approaching sharptooth.

"It isn't easy, is it son?" His mother's voice softly asked.

The teary-eyed sharptooth looked up at his mother and nodded.

"I am sorry, Chomper. But even though leaf-eaters may have hatched you, they are still your food." She continued as she picked up the little biter with her forelimbs. "It would have been easier on you if you didn't know what they were saying." At that moment Terri was inwardly cursing that young fast runner. Knowing what leaf-eaters were saying would be a good advantage in hunts, but it was also mental torture for a kind soul such as Chomper. It would have been infinitely more merciful for him to simply view leaf-eaters as food, as his kind generally did. Instead he was being tortured by a fate that he couldn't change.

"Does it get any easier, mommy?" Chomper asked her as she nuzzled him.

_A good question._ She reflected. Most sharpteeth did not feel any remorse at the idea of eating leaf-eaters. Why would they? But when sharpteeth are forced to kill family or allies then they often enough will feel guilt, even when such actions were necessary. It was not something that she could relate to personally, but she did remember the words of her father when he told her of the time he had to eat others of their kind in order to survive. "Time can heal all wounds, so long as you survive long enough."

"Yes, Chomper. Yes it does." She answered softly. As she noticed the little biter dry his eyes, she smiled at him. "Don't worry little one, I will tell your father that you meant to kill that swimmer all along." She then continued as the young biter uttered a relieved sigh. "Now dry your eyes and get ready to walk. Your dad will be expecting us. It's dinner time."

After she sat Chomper on the ground and picked up Chomper's first kill with her forelimbs, the two began to journey to the site of Dein's kill. A part of Chomper's innocence had died that day, but something else was born.

Several seasons later, when Chomper traveled to the valley, he made a vow to keep that newly-awakened killing instinct under tight control. He resolved then that he would not break that promise until it was time for him to finally fully embrace his sharptooth side. There would be no more painful conflict between his tender beginnings and his inevitable future. When it was time for him to accept his fate, he would simply sit aside the part of him that could no longer be. When that day came he would wish his friends goodbye, leave the valley, and accept his fate. It was the only way.

...

**Back to the Present:**

Chomper blinked a few times as his thoughts returned to the present. His friends would soon be going through the same struggle and agony that he had gone through seasons ago. The only thing that he could do is be there when they waivered or broke under the strain of what they were doing. He at the very least could do that.

Chomper stepped up to Littlefoot and carefully shook the fast biter with his forelimb.

"Littlefoot?"

A groan emitted from the fast biter as he slowly rose from his prone position. With a massive stretch and yawn Littlefoot finally rose to his full height. He blinked a few times before responding to Chomper.

"It's morning already?"

Chomper nodded. "Yeah. The others aren't up yet." The little biter paused for a moment before stating what was on his mind. "Are you ready for this Littlefoot?"

Littlefoot paused for a moment. "No. No, I'm not." He sighed. "But... We are getting worse, Chomper. We have to do something. If we don't hunt something else then we might..."

At Littlefoot's pause Chomper finished for him. "...Turn on one another."

Littlefoot nodded. "We have no choice." He then looked in the direction where Petrie said the herd was the day before. "We have to do this."

Chomper looked at Littlefoot in a state of awe as a hardened look appeared upon Littlefoot's face. It seems that the harsh resolve of the pack leader was beginning to manifest within him. Chomper wondered for a moment whether this change was caused by their current difficulty or was actually a gradual change that he hadn't really noticed until now. Either way, it was a very noticeable change. Chomper would have to bring this to Littlefoot's attention after the hard work of the day was done. He had to make sure that their attempt at keeping themselves under control did not in itself lead Littlefoot to lose himself. They had to hunt now, that was true. But he did not want to see his old friend lose his kind and caring personality in order take hard but necessary actions.

Littlefoot then talked to Chomper in a motivated voice. "Let's wake the others. It is time."

Chomper nodded as they set out about the work of waking the others. Then they would try to convince them of the necessity of the hunt.

...

"What?!"

_Well this is going about as well as expected. _Chomper thought to himself. _At least only Cera is reacting violently to the idea._

Ruby, Petrie, and Chomper had agreed to the hunting idea, whereas Ducky and Spike were conflicted on the issue. Spike was sure of its merits, but unsure that he could participate. Ducky was horrified by the idea, but was even more horrified at what was happening to the group. They had started to lose control over their emotions and begin to snap at one another. She was in a situation where the right choice was obvious but also abhorrent.

"But I do not want to be a killer! Oh, no, no, no!" Ducky exclaimed.

"But what choice do we have?" Spike asked. "If we don't do this then we might turn on one another." He looked at Cera when he made that statement, the irony of him making that observation having not escaped his notice.

He finally relented on his prior objections. "I will do whatever the group decides."

Ducky was overwhelmed by this turn of events. Intellectually, she understood the severity of their situation and the fact that they had limited options. Emotionally, however, she was horrified beyond all reckoning. She was always the gentle soul in the group that was able to find the goodness in everyone. How could she then become a calculating killer? She was unable to make any decisions in her current conflicted mental state, so she decided to let the group decide. Like her brother, she would abide by the group's consensus.

Meanwhile, the debate continued.

"We have to do this, we have no choice!" Ruby exclaimed. "If we had any other choice, then that choice I would choose." She wasn't happy with the situation, but she realized its necessity. Just like when she stole the egg when she was young, sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Although she understood her distress, she was quickly tiring of Cera's antics.

"So you have decided to join in, huh?" Cera asked mockingly. "Did Chomper tell you nice stories about how tasty longnecks are?"

"Cera..." Spike may not have been on good terms with Cera at the moment, on account of their fight the day before, but even he knew that she was pushing this way too far. Ruby looked irate and Littlefoot didn't look much better.

Cera was livid and did not hear Spike's cautionary words. In fact, in her current state, she would have brushed them aside anyway. The last aspect of their leaf-eater sides were being pushed aside with Littlefoot's call to hunt. She was not going to let this go. With that in mind, she turned towards Littlefoot and played her last trump card.

"What would your mother have thought?"

Cera's words descended upon the group like a pile of boulders. Complete silence permeated the scene as the two fast biters simply stared at one another. Cera with an accusing expression and Littlefoot with an unreadable expression.

_Crap._ Spike thought morosely to himself. _This is not going to end well._

Ducky, who had been quietly listening during the entire debate, took a quick look in Ruby and Spike's direction. With a few quick nods, the trio began to move towards the front of the group. They were convinced that they would soon have a fight to break up.

Littlefoot calmly began to walk up to Cera. His demeanor exhibited no malice or aggression. In fact, Cera could not determine anything about Littlefoot's mood from his current actions. She couldn't tell if he was trying to deescalate the situation or to end it. Whether he was full of calm serenity or calm fury. This unknown variable frightened her and as a result she began to move into a defensive position.

"Guys..." Chomper cautioned. He could see the trio move up to the front and Littlefoot walking towards Cera. _We can't start fighting! Not now!_ He too began to rush towards the front of the group.

Littlefoot continued his approach to Cera, but made no offensive gestures. As the trio of Ducky, Spike, and Ruby walked up to within a few paces of the two, Littlefoot walked up to meet Cera face-to-face.

The two stared one another down for a few moments. Each looked at the other with cold, unblinking eyes. It was a battle of wills, Chomper deduced, as neither wanted to be the one who gave the first sign of weakness. He settled near the trio of fast biters in order to break up the confrontation in the event that it turned violent. None of them could deny that the hunger madness was beginning to take hold now. He had never seen any of his friends act like this as leaf-eaters. It was a jarring change.

Petrie had settled onto Ducky's back. He was horrified at the sudden change in his two friends. _What is happening? _The flyer asked himself. _Why they act this way?_

"Guys..." Petrie began. "Me no like this! You two act like bad sharpteeth!"

_Oh shut up Petrie! _Cera thought to herself. _I am showing this stubborn upstart who is boss!_ But then as the seconds rolled by, she actually examined her thoughts in more detail. _Wait. Am I acting like a sharptooth? That can't be!_ She focused all of her attention to what she was seeing once again and the same unblinking, harsh eyes stared back at her. She couldn't recognize the version of Littlefoot that stood in front of her. Did she look like he did right now? If so, then what did that say about her? _Even without hunting I am losing myself._ She concluded. _Is there no hope?_ She thought mournfully.

Cera took one step back and looked down, averting her eyes slightly. She didn't realize it, and probably would not have done it if she did realize it, but she had just made a gesture of submission. She was the first to back down.

Littlefoot blinked, before nodding once. His expression softened ever so slightly. The others noticed this and visibly relaxed. Although they couldn't say quite why, they knew that the worst had passed.

Littlefoot took the opportunity to speak. "That was out of line, Cera." His voice was soft. Disturbingly soft. "Do you honestly think that I haven't asked myself that question?" He began pacing back and forth. "It's bad enough that I have to fight my instincts..." He began while looking away. "But I never thought that I would have to fight... **My own friends**!" The last three words were roared out in suppressed rage. Chomper cringed. How much had Littlefoot been holding back?

Cera looked up at Littlefoot with a mixture of anger and fear. She understood his rage at her question, but certainly he should understand her reluctance to hunt.

"**It isn't fair**!" She roared. "If we don't hunt then we lose control. But if we do hunt, then what is the point of keeping control?" She began to pace as well, as suppressed tears fell down her face. "I don't want to be a killer." She said sadly as she looked off into the distance. Cera was finally coming to terms with what Littlefoot had just dealt with the night before. Although Littlefoot was still angry at this point, he understood that he couldn't hold her outburst against her. She had just experienced a death. Not the death of a loved one or a friend, but rather the death of a hope. The hope that they could avoid what being a sharptooth entailed. Now only the horrible realization of what they must do remained.

Littlefoot's expression softened as he saw his close friend break down in despair. He approached cautiously, with his head bowed down in a gesture of truce. He then looked at her with a soft expression before speaking.

"I don't want to kill either, Cera." He shook his head. "And I don't know what it means. All I know is that we will get through it together." The two sat side by side for a moment, each coming to terms with their emotions.

Chomper looked sadly at the scene in front of him when suddenly he heard a sob to his right. He looked in that direction to see Spike and Ducky comforting one another, whereas Petrie and Ruby looked on with unreadable expressions. He walked up to Ruby and placed his forelimb onto hers and gave her a sad smile. They were all in this together, as Littlefoot had said. Now they had to come to terms with the fateful decision that they had made.

"Petrie." Littlefoot called suddenly.

Petrie flew over to the brown fast biter and looked upon him with an inquisitive expression. "We need to find that herd." He stated assertively. "Can you help lead us to it? You're the only one with a flyer's view." He stated the obvious.

"Me can look." Petrie affirmed.

At this Littlefoot nodded his head at the little flyer and cleared his throat. _Now is the time._ Littlefoot thought to himself. _We need to hurry if we are going to catch up with the herd today._

"Well, guys." He began. "We should get going." He then looked at the others. "We have to do this. I wish we had some other choice, but... we don't. Not anymore." He affirmed. He then looked in the direction that the herd was during the previous night before again speaking. "Chomper?"

Chomper looked up and responded cautiously. "Yes, Littlefoot?"

Littlefoot sighed. "None of us have ever hunted... others... before." He paused for a moment. "Could you give us lessons while we walk to the herd? We will need any help that we can get."

Chomper nodded before responding. "Of course, Littlefoot."

With few words being exchanged, the gang began to head off towards the longneck herd. The difficult decision had been made. Now the most difficult part was ahead. Each of the gang walked on in apprehension at the task that awaited them. Nothing would ever be the same again.

* * *

**So there you have it. The gang has finally decided to conduct a hunt in order to address their out of control hunger. Will they be able to find a suitable victim in the longneck herd, or will this hunt be a suicide mission for the new sharpteeth? Find out in the next chapter.**

* * *

**JJP007: **Thank you for the kind words. I indeed try to maintain a regular schedule in posting this story, but as the semester goes on I may have to drop it down to 1 chapter a week. However, my posting schedule shouldn't be any less frequent than that.**  
**

**Littlefootxcera**: Thank you for the response. All I can say about the pairing issue is that I have already determined them back when I planned out the story arc for the entire fanfiction. In any case, it will be about another 20 chapters before any hints of romance become apparent.

**gordhanx and** **R**ichardTerminator: Indeed the upcoming hunt will have significant consequences for our favorite seven dinosaurs. They have seen the dangers of hunger firsthand, but will the solution to this problem be any better? The next two chapters will explore this question in much more detail.

**Thanks for the responses, everyone! I should have the next chapter posted within a week.**


	15. Chapter 14

**All right, the ratings change has been made out of an excess of caution. The questionable material, as you might expect, is related to the scenes of hunting as opposed to anything sexual or related to offensive language. There will be no sexual material or highly offensive language in this story.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 14: A transformation complete**

**_He seemed to pass through lifetimes in his dreams. Through the Giant's Drink again, past the wolf-children, reliving the terrible deaths, the constant murders; he heard a voice whispering in the forest, You had to kill the children to get to the End of the World. And he tried to answer, I never wanted to kill anybody. Nobody ever asked me if I wanted to kill anybody. But the forest laughed at him. — Orson Scott Card, Enders Game_**

The gang was no longer following the river, as they adjusted their course in order to follow the wandering longneck herd. Initially, they only had Petrie's occasional directions in order to guide them, but for the previous few hours the still-fresh footprints of large sauropods were clear for all to see. They were slowly approaching a large hill that rose from the river's edge to the high peaks that rose to the south. Petrie told them that the herd had stopped in a valley on the other side of the hill. The gang was quite ready to see their goal with their own eyes. Their hunger had not diminished during their daylong journey.

"My daddy also said that good scouting was as important as the chase itself..."

Chomper was going through the basics of hunting with the rest of the gang. Besides their recent stint at hunting ground fuzzies, they had no experience in hunting. They certainly had plenty of experience in being hunted when they were leaf-eaters, but they had little from the other side of the equation.

"Why is that, Chomper?" Ruby asked.

Ruby was apprehensive about the upcoming hunt. True, she had more experience at eating meat than the others, but she had no hunting experience besides her one brief excursion into egg stealing. Considering that this herd was on the move, egg stealing seemed out of the question. They would have to hunt one of the herd members down without being annihilated by the rest of the herd. She was not optimistic about their chances, but she kept her misgivings to herself. Nothing could be done about it.

"Well, you need to see if any of the herd is weak or sick. If they are then they can be an easy meal."

Cera was an odd mix of horrified and enthralled at the conversation that they were now having. Just a few days ago they were happy leaf-eaters residing in the valley. They hadn't had a care in the world. Now they were a pack of hungry sharpteeth who were calmly planning out their first hunt. What disturbed her out the most, however, was the fact that it felt so right. It was as if some part of her mind found hunting in a pack to be the very definition of family and community. She wanted to fight against this feeling, but she knew that they had no choice at this point. What good would making herself miserable do? As it was, the gang's focus on the upcoming hunt was quite possibly the only thing keeping them off of one another's throats. For these reasons, she decided to focus on her giddy anticipation and ignore her hunger pains. She hoped that her thoughts would calm with the filling of her belly.

"Also, you want to stop them from escaping. So you need to know the area."

Spike was still angry at Cera's antics from earlier, but he knew that his anger actually originated from his unsatisfied hunger. The hope that his hunger would soon be resolved gave him something to focus his anger upon and allowed him to function. He noted that the realization that his hunger would soon be resolved at the expense of another dinosaur did not disturb him as much as it should have. _We really are in the hunger madness, aren't we?_ He admitted to himself. _I guess it is a good thing that we agreed to do this now. Who knows what would happen otherwise?_ He decided to focus on Chomper's lessons for the duration of the journey. Even if it didn't help in the actual hunt, at least it gave him something to focus on besides his insatiable hunger.

"What if they have help?" Littlefoot asked.

Littlefoot was amazed by his own callousness. Here he was calmly discussing how to murder another dinosaur, another longneck at that, in order to eat. It was obvious to him that his new instincts were guiding him. _Instincts are those feelings that guide us._ The words from his now distant conversation with his grandparents echoed in his mind. Littlefoot did not know whether to be grateful or spiteful at the new voices that called out in his mind. On one hand, they were driving him away from the kind, gentle longneck that he used to be. On the other hand, however, they were now allowing him to do what he simply had to do. Finding no resolution to his confused thoughts, he turned his attention back to Chomper's reply.

"Well... You could try to kill them before help comes."

Ducky was walking with the pack, but she was doing so in a confused daze. She had no idea how to reconcile her kindness and caring nature with the reality that she now faced. She had agreed to abide by the group consensus, but she did not know if she could actively take part in the hunt. How could she take the life of another? She always had the ability to see the good within everyone. Now, she was about to snuff the life out of a total stranger. What did that say about her? The only certainty that she had is that she would continue to follow the others. She had followed them into impossible situations before and each of them had risked their lives for the others. She then resolved that if her beloved friends were about to fully embrace their sharptooth natures then she would join them. She may not make the kill, but she would help nonetheless. She would not let them be damned to this existence alone.

"That way, even if help comes and you run off, the meat will still be waiting for you later."

The gang was now scaling the large hill, which rose at a relatively steep angle. Even the fast biters in the gang had to slow their forward progress as the elevated ground prevented the steady jog that they had maintained for much of the day. Chomper was grateful for the respite, as he had difficulty in keeping up with his now much-faster friends. They were only a few moments away from seeing their quarry for the day.

Chomper had been going through the lessons that he learned from his parents for the better part of the afternoon. He was amazed at the duality of his emotions at that moment. Part of him was excited that he was about to participate in a hunt with his friends, as it was a large portion of his heritage that he had to keep secret from the others in the valley. In fact, in many ways he had partitioned this part of his life from that which he shared with his friends. Hunting was something that he always associated with his parents. Thus, in a way, this represented unification between the two halves of his life. True, his descent into fully embracing his sharptooth instincts again had occurred sooner than he had hoped, but if his friends were with him then he didn't care.

The other part of him, however, reflected with extreme concern at the changes that his friends had undergone. With their hunger having grown throughout their journey, his friends had grown much more aggressive and callous in their demeanor. Their agreement to finally hunt seemed to have suppressed their darker natures, but Chomper knew that this was a further indication of the changes that they had gone through. They were now planning out a hunt and listening to Chomper's murderous advice without the slightest hint of disgust. In fact, Chomper admitted, the only one who resisted the idea of a hunt in the previous day was Cera and she seemed to have utterly dropped her protests when she agreed to the hunt. No one remained to restrain them from their primal hunger.

Chomper looked back at everyone for a few moments. _These are still my friends._ He affirmed to himself. _They are sharpteeth like me now, but they are still there._ The kindness of Ducky, the wisdom of Ruby, the leadership of Littlefoot, the perceptiveness of Spike, the protectiveness of Cera, and the trustworthiness of Petrie, all remained. They were just now endowed with the predatory instincts of fast biters and sharptooth flyers. They had not lost themselves, as Cera had admitted to fearing. Rather, they were simply changing into what they had to be now. Sharpteeth didn't have the luxury of being vegetarians, but they could still be good. His friends would simply need guidance in order to realize that.

_And I will show them how to do that. _Chomper nodded to himself. _They have lost a lot, but they haven't lost everything._

At this point the gang was approaching the crest of the hill. The wind which had been blocked by the hill was beginning to collide with their crest feathers, signaling that the hidden land in front of them would soon be revealed. Ruby began to move to the front with Cera and Littlefoot in order to see the quarry for herself. She was filled with an odd sort of excitement that disturbed her at some level. She was looking forward to hunting dinosaurs with the same giddiness that she had hunted snapping shells in the mysterious beyond. She knew that it couldn't be helped, but it still gave her some pause. Finally, she and the others reached the summit of the hill and gawked at what lay in front of them.

Immediately in front of them there was grassland, which was being inhabited by an innumerable number of longnecks. Their exact composition and size was impossible to gauge at their distance, which was still several miles away, but it was obviously a massive herd. _I only knew of one herd that was that large. _Littlefoot thought to himself._ Is this the Old One's herd?_ It was bad enough that he had already resolved to hunt his own kind, but he was beside himself with the possibility that he might be going after Ali's herd. He bit his lip as he tried to suppress his misgivings. They simply had no choice of hisopinions on the matter, the hunt was going to happen. He just hoped that he could live with himself afterwards.

Majestic forests stood to the both the left and the right of the herd, which seemed to extend as far as the eye could see in each direction. Their trees were so tall and imposing that nothing could be seen under their canopies. The fact that the longnecks were avoiding the plentiful food of the forest was a curious finding. Were they seeking shelter in the open in order to easily see any predators? Even so, resting in the open was abnormal for a longneck herd and was generally inadvisable. _Perhaps they are looking for something?_ Ruby deduced. _If so, what is it?_

"Well, here we are." Cera said stoically.

Cera was feeling a confusing combination of emotions at that moment, which ran the gambit from nervousness to guilt. However, the most pressing emotion was the feeling of anticipation. No matter how much she had railed against it earlier, they simply had to do this. She knew that now. This hunt and the possibility of food was the only thing keeping them from going at one another's throats. She did not like the possibility of taking another dinosaur's life, but she hated the possibility of hurting her friends more.

"What now?" Cera asked after a pause. Surely launching an outright attack on a full-grown longneck would be suicidal for a small pack such as theirs, let alone an attack on a full herd! They had to wait for Chomper's advice now. This was his specialty.

"Yeah, Chomper." Littlefoot replied. "You should probably lead this. You're the only one of us who has... done this before." His words were true and unquestionably correct, but in a pack dynamic they took on a different meaning. Littlefoot was not simply letting Chomper lead a game or tell a story or do any of those things that they did as leaf-eaters. No, he was offering Chomper temporary command of the pack. Even though Littlefoot did not understand the full implications of his offer, his instincts did. Littlefoot's appearance changed markedly into a much more contemplative expression.

All eyes turned to Chomper then as the gang awaited instruction.

Chomper noted this with surprise and went from a bewildered expression to an unreadable one. _I have never led a joint hunt before. Can I do this? _The sharptooth thought to himself with more than a little trepidation. _Oh well, I guess that it is up to me now._ Chomper would have to become the harsh commander that they needed right now. He could deal with his own misgivings later.

Chomper then took on an imperious demeanor and rose to his full height. His chest puffed out in a show of force and readiness as his eyes lost any of their innocent gleam that they had moments ago. To another sharpteeth the scene would have appeared comical, as the very young sharptooth tried to take on the bearing of his kind despite being less than a twentieth of an adult's size. Nonetheless, in the gang's naiveté of their own instincts, they were moved by the display. They would have followed his suggestions in any case, but now they would obey them as orders.

With a stiff nod to Littlefoot, Chomper gave his first orders.

...

"Ducky? Spike? You are to scout out the forest that is closest to the herd. See what you can find there."

Ducky was slowly making her way through the forest with Chomper's instructions from a few hours earlier echoing in her head. They were to scout in the outer regions of the forest to see if any younglings were in the vicinity. After all, they would have little chance of killing any of the adults. Their best chance was to drag off a child when the adults weren't looking.

_I sound like a bad sharptooth now. I do. I do. _Ducky thought morosely. She didn't know if she could actually carry out the deed or not. To actually make the kill. However, she knew that she could handle scouting, especially if Spike was here to assist her. _Spike. _She thought to herself. _I don't know what I would have done without him. I can't give up and let him carry on alone. _Even though she was often the emotional cement that helped to hold the gang together, she was in more need of being supported than the others right now. The partition between her old life that was now gone, and her new life which has just started was simply too great to bridge together. She didn't know who she was anymore. However, the gang gave her something to latch onto. It was a very small known variable in a universe of unknowns. They were what kept her going during these trying times. Chomper had known the former swimmer emotional turmoil better than even she did at this moment. That was why he assigned Ducky and Spike into the same group. Chomper knew that it was what she needed right now.

"Find anything, Spike?" She inquired at her brother. She had found nothing of any interest in her area.

Spike simply made a grunt that signified "no". Even though he had gained the ability to speak, he often neglected to use it. In Spike's point of view it was useless to say a bunch of words when a simple shake of the head would accomplish the same thing. Old habits died hard. With both siblings finding nothing of interest in this area, they proceeded a bit deeper into the forest.

They had been searching for about an hour now, but had detected nothing. None of the longnecks had entered the forest. She certainly hoped that the others were having more success than they were.

...

"I smell longneck!" Cera called out excitedly.

They had been scouting the forest farthest away from the herd for a few hours now and she was bored out of her mind. Why were they searching for dinosaurs in the forest when there was a herd resting in the grassland? She knew that they stood no chance against the adults, but what were they accomplishing in this forest? Or at least those were her thoughts until she detected a very sweet and enticing smell.

"Yes, Cera." Ruby replied "You smell longneck because longnecks are nearby. It is the nearby longnecks that you smell." The former fast runner was preoccupied with a small indentation that she saw in a bush. _I wonder what made this?_ She thought to herself.

"No, I smell a longneck in this forest!" Cera replied in an annoyed fashion.

At this the rose fast biter ran to where Cera was and, upon Cera's nod, took a deep breath.

_Longneck!_ Ruby exclaimed in her mind. _We might be able to beat the hunger madness after all._

"This is wonderful, Cera!" Ruby replied, but then remembering what she was looking at earlier she quickly added, "Take a look at this!"

Running to where the former fast runner took her, Cera noted that it was the same area where she was looking before Cera's announcement. _What is it?_ She thought to herself. _There is nothing here except for some crushed bushes._ She then paused for a moment. _Oh._

Not only had longnecks been in this forest, but they had rested here for a while as well. Furthermore, since there was only limited space between the trees in this part of the forest, and the depression in the bushes was quite small, that could mean only one thing.

"Ruby! These must be young longnecks!" Cera then smirked. "Let's tell Littlefoot that we have found dinner!"

The two fast biters then ran in the direction of the rendezvous point where Petrie was supposed to be flying. They would tell Petrie and he could recall the others. The hunt would soon begin.

...

"And Littlefoot? You're with me. We're taking a look at the herd."

_Darn it, Chomper! Remind me to never let you lead again!_ Littlefoot though angrily to himself. This was the third time that he had to run for his life today and quite frankly he was getting sick of it.

"Coward! Stand and fight!" A young adult longneck yelled at Littlefoot. He, of course, could not understand any of it. To him it sounded like a series of incoherent bellows. _No wonder why sharpteeth think leaf-eaters are stupid. _He thought to himself. Finally, he entered the forest and the sanctuary of its darkened depths. No adult longneck could enter here on account of the small spaces between the plentiful trees. He was safe again.

As the brown fast biter disappeared from sight, Littlefoot's pursuer slowed down and stopped at the forest's edge. He turned his head when he heard a bellow from the herd.

"What do you think that you are doing, Brako?!" It was the Old One's deputy. "How many times must you be told, you must stay with the herd."

Brako bristled at this rebuke. "And do what? Let the sharpteeth go so that they can kill again?" Brako was a prideful longneck and he was tired of the passivity of the herd elders. If they let sharpteeth go each time, then they could come back to attack the herd. Why didn't they understand?

"He got away anyway, didn't he?" The deputy asked as he caught up to Brako. "You also broke our ranks when you pursued." Brako then looked back at the herd to see that the defensive circle around the remaining children had a noticeable gap. In his determination to destroy the sharptooth he had forgotten his first duty: to protect the herd's youngest.

The deputy sighed. "What are we going to do with you?"

As the longnecks continued to grunt and bellow unintelligibly at the forest's edge, Littlefoot advanced into the forest. When he finally caught up to that purple menace he would give him a piece of his mind. Suddenly, he saw the bushes in front of him begin to flutter from side to side. As he stopped and gave it a closer look, the face of a purple sharptooth came out of it.

"That was great, Littlefoot!" Chomper exclaimed.

Littlefoot was taken aback by this comment and sputtered for a moment.

"Great? Great?!" He was beyond upset at this point. "I was just chased by a longneck who wanted to trample me! How is that great, Chomper?!" What was wrong with that sharptooth? Had he lost his mind?

"You found the herd's weaknesses, Littlefoot!" Chomper exclaimed excitingly. He then looked at Littlefoot with an amused expression. "And besides you easily outran that longneck. He never even came close to you."

"Well, it looked a lot different to me!" Littlefoot exclaimed. "He was running at me so I didn't stick around." He then paused for a moment as he comprehended Chomper's first statement. "I found their weaknesses? What do you mean?"

Chomper took on an excited look again and waved with his arms in a "come this way" gesture. "Come on, I will show you!"

Littlefoot noted with some anticipation that they were approaching the edge of the forest again. Were they both going to go into the grassland this time? If so, Littlefoot did not like that idea. It was better for Littlefoot to take a close look at the herd as he had the ability to quickly run away, but poor Chomper didn't have that kind of speed. Hence, why Chomper observed Littlefoot's actions from the safety of the forest's edge.

Before too long they were just out of the forest's canopy and looking at the herd in the grassland ahead. Chomper signaled for Littlefoot to stop and cleared his throat.

"What do you see?" Chomper asked.

_Was that a rhetorical question? _Littlefoot thought to himself. "A bunch of longnecks that are too big to eat and a bunch of grass that is too icky to eat." He stated dryly.

Chomper gave him a pointed look, but the smile hadn't left his face.

"Well, here is what I see." Chomper began as he started to point at the various herd members.

He pointed at the Old One first. "She is the leader, but weak and frail. Much of the herd defends her instead of defending others." Littlefoot thought back to the first time he was chased when he got too close. The larger longnecks all gathered around her or the five or so youngling longnecks. Everything else was left open to attack.

He next pointed at the children. "There are five young longnecks." He stated. "About your age..." Both of them realized the implication, so Chomper immediately went back to his point. "But there are seven mothers around them." Littlefoot looked at what Chomper was referring to and gawked when he realized that he was right. How did he miss that detail? There were five females obviously focusing on their respective children and two others with worried, far-away looks.

"Those two are missing their kids, aren't they?" Littlefoot asked.

"Yes, Littlefoot. The question is: where are they?" Chomper was impressed with Littlefoot's progress, as he was already beginning to see the world from a sharptooth's perspective. His mind was ready to perform the morbid, yet logical calculations of a meat-eater; all that he needed was to train his eyes to see what was in front of him. Part of Chomper was sad that some of Littlefoot's innocence was beginning to die before his eyes, but he was also glad to see that what really mattered was still intact. This was still Littlefoot. It simply seemed like fate was remaking his figurative brother into a more literal one. He hoped that he wasn't being selfish in feeling some happiness from the change. Chomper always thought that when he was forced to adopt the ways of his kind, that he would be forever alone. Now, however, fate had ensured that he would have companionship during these days of blood and death. His journey was no longer as dark as he had once feared.

"Maybe they are dead... or maybe they are lost!" Littlefoot finally got the implications of Chomper's line of reasoning.

"Exactly!" Chomper exclaimed, while nodding. "They might be our next meal." Chomper affirmed. "But first we have to find them."

Chomper then looked worried and again took a look at the herd. "If we can't find them, then..." Chomper paused for a moment. "You could annoy that hotheaded one over there." Chomper pointed at the longneck that had chased Littlefoot earlier. "If he leaves the children unprotected again to chase you, then one of us could sneak in and kill some of the kids." Littlefoot looked sick at the mention of what Chomper was planning. "We could run away and get their meat later, after the herd leaves."

"That would be..." _Sick, depraved, evil... _Littlefoot's mind raced, but he knew that never mind how it made him feel, none of those labels was applicable to their situation. They had to eat now, no matter the cost.

"Dangerous!" He finally finished.

"I know, Littlefoot." Chomper relied sadly. "That's why I hope we find those two longnecks."

Littlefoot reflected for a moment on the side of Chomper he had just seen. This was not Chomper the friendly sharptooth, this was Chomper the cold, calculating killer. There was nothing malicious about his thoughts, nor anything that would not be expected out of one who had to hunt for his dinner, but it was horrifying to see it out in the open like this. The fact that Chomper was capable of this stunned Littlefoot. Did Chomper think like this when he was in the valley or did he always suppress this side of him? Was this always going on underneath his non-threatening exterior? Littlefoot supposed that it said a lot about their friendship that Chomper never betrayed their trust in the valley. If Chomper was willing and able to hold all of this at bay for his friends, then he must have loved them all very much indeed.

**Caw!**

The longneck herd went into a defensive posture again at the sudden call. However, after seeing that it was from a distant flyer, the herd relaxed again. For the sharpteeth, on the other hand, the call represented something else entirely.

"All right!" Chomper exclaimed as he took a victorious hop. "Dinner is coming!"

Littlefoot looked perplexed. "What do you mean?"

Chomper smiled as he replied. "I also gave Petrie orders, Littlefoot." He answered. "He was to tell us if the others found any food!"

Despite the morbid nature of their current conversation, Littlefoot couldn't suppress his smile. It seemed that their insatiable hunger would soon be filled with the only food that mattered anymore.

Meat.

...

The others had arrived at the agreed upon rendezvous point. They were situated in a clearing just inside the forest which faced the herd. From this vantage point, the longneck herd could not be seen, but it still could be heard and smelt. Now, they were simply waiting on Littlefoot and Chomper.

Suddenly there was a rustling of leaves from behind the gang. As they turned to see what had arrived, they were relieved to see the brown crest of Littlefoot and the familiar purple hue of Chomper.

"It looks like everyone is here." Ruby stated the obvious.

"What took you two so long?" Cera asked in an annoyed fashion.

Littlefoot looked at her with a preoccupied expression. "Time flies when you running for your life, Cera." Cera was confused by his explanation, but didn't ask. She figured that she probably didn't want to know.

"What did you guys find?" Chomper asked excitingly.

"We smelled longnecks in the forest. Most likely children." Cera responded.

"Were you able to see them?" Littlefoot asked.

"No, but we smelled their trail into the forest and we found were they had rested." Ruby replied.

Littlefoot turned and looked at Chomper. "Those must be the two missing kids!"

"The what?!" Cera and Ruby almost exclaimed simultaneously.

Chomper decided to explain. "There were two mothers in the herd that had missing children. You must have smelled their children in the forest." Chomper reflected for a moment. "If they are away from the herd then that makes our hunt easier."

Littlefoot added, "Yeah, there will be no adults to save them."

Ducky felt something fall in her stomach when she heard those words from Littlefoot. This was it. They were really going to hunt somebody. At this realization, her lingering doubts began to reappear in her mind. She had to make her objections known.

"I don't think that I can do this. Oh, no, no, no!" Ducky said sadly, while looking down in anguish.

Chomper and Littlefoot both looked at her with surprised expressions, as they had not expected her outburst, while Ruby and Petrie conveyed sympathy in their demeanor. Spike was about to speak to her, until Cera interrupted.

"Ducky, it is a bit late for that isn't it?" Her voice did not convey any anger or exasperation, it simply sounded tired. They had all had their moments of weakness and uncertainty leading up to this moment and yet here they were, seven sharpteeth getting ready for their first hunt. Surely Ducky understood that she had no choice now? None of them did. If there was any other choice then they would have certainly taken it.

Spike looked in Cera's direction for a moment with an unreadable expression. Cera simply nodded in his direction. _She wants me to handle this._ He realized. He was quite grateful that she wasn't going to press the issue or be spiteful. He didn't have the patience for it, nor would it help his sister. He would have to get his sister to understand.

"Sis..." He began, but was immediately cut off.

"I know, Spike!" Ducky exclaimed in frustration. "I know we have to do this, but I just can't! I can't kill!" The former swimmer had her face in her paws. She was absolutely lost. She had no idea what to do.

"Perhaps..." Everyone turned to face Chomper as he began speaking. "Perhaps, you don't have to kill?" Littlefoot was looking at his with a bewildered expression. What was the sharptooth talking about? Chomper noted his response and clarified his words. "You and the others could help find them or chase them. Then let me make the kill."

Littlefoot nodded in understanding at this. Yes, that could work.

Spike pressed the matter. "Ducky? Would that work?"

_Can I do this? _The former hadrosaur thought to herself. _I would still be helping to kill someone._ She knew beyond all doubt that this simply had to be done, but she was unsure if she would be able to live with her guilt afterwards. Nonetheless, the entire gang was depending on everyone to do their part. She resolved that she would not be the one to let them down. Never mind the personal cost to her, she would bear that burden. She knew what she had to do.

She looked up at the rest of the gang and, with a resigned look upon her face, simply nodded. She would participate in the hunt, but she would not make the kill.

Now the only question was how to proceed.

After a few moments of silence, Chomper cleared his throat. This was still his hunt to lead.

"Okay, guys. This is what we are going to do..."

...

"Are you sure we are going the right way Rhett?"

It had started off innocent enough, Ali thought. They would simply go into the forest for a short while and find some tasty sweet bubbles. There were sweet bubbles in the trees in the Great Valley, so perhaps they could find some here? It would be a chance to get a rare delicacy that the herd almost never encountered in the open areas in which they often traveled and it would be a chance to get away from the stifling atmosphere of the herd. The over-protectiveness of the herd was something that both of them had gotten quite sick of during the herd's endless journeys across the Mysterious Beyond.

For Ali the herd's micromanagement of her life, which controlled everything from when everyone ate to when she could play with the other children, was a jarring departure from the brief respite of freedom she had experienced in the Great Valley. The Old One meant well, but was this life truly living? It seemed that her brief times with Littlefoot and his friends had awakened a bit of a rebellious streak within the young longneck. She was not completely reckless, however, as her personality was cautious by nature. For that reason she had Rhett with her. Despite his admitted fabrication of his heroic deeds, she felt safer with him around. She was confident that they could get out of any situation as long as they stuck together.

For Rhett, on the other hand, this journey represented something else. When his decimated herd had finally merged with the Old One's herd he had no friends or family, besides his mother. In fact, Ali was the first child his age that he had seen in quite a long time, ever since his brothers and sisters... Well, there were some stories that even Rhett did not want to tell. With both of them lacking companionship within their own age group, it was no surprise that the two immediately became inseparable in the herd. However, soon after the two had become friends, Ali had told him of that amazing longneck named Littlefoot and all of the amazing adventures that he had. Feeling challenged by this unknown longneck, and fearing for the loss of this companionship that he had wanted for so very long, Rhett had tried to overcompensate by making up heroic stories about his past deeds. For all of Rhett's bluster and fabrications, however, that longneck and his friends had apparently experienced the adventures that Rhett could only imagine. Littlefoot had even had made friends with a sharptooth! Compared to them, Rhett's life seemed boring and uninspired. He was just another lonely child, who wasn't even strong enough to save his own father or siblings. The fact that a child couldn't be expected to do those things didn't matter in Rhett's mind. His fabricated stories were part of his coping mechanism for his perceived failings.

For the several months after they had visited the Great Valley, Rhett had been feeling humbled by his humiliation at that hands of Littlefoot and his friends. They had tricked him into believing that Chomper was an invading sharptooth and, rather than live up to the heroic stories he had told of himself, Rhett had simply ran away and told the herd's adults of the threat. Worse of all, he had left Ali to fend for herself! When he realized the full implications of what he had done, he felt ashamed. He really liked Ali and he knew that she deserved better than what he had done. With his idealized version of himself striped away, he had to deal with the real Rhett and his current lot in life. He soon realized, upon reflection, that Ali was the source of most of his happiness and that he had wronged her in his selfish desire to keep her from others. He then resolved to protect her no matter the danger to himself. He didn't protect his family when they needed him, but he could still protect her. Even if she eventually chose that other longneck as a best friend, he figured that he owed it to her. She had given him happiness; the least that he could do is ensure that she was safe and cared for.

When Ali had come up with the idea of going into the forest he found his opportunity to prove to her that he was more than a mere braggart. He didn't mind the fact that they might get in trouble for their antics, as this gave him an opportunity to live up to his personal resolution. He would keep her safe while they searched for sweet bubbles. They would be in and out for a short time, or so the intrepid two sauropods had thought, and no one would notice their absence. If someone did, then they could simply say they were playing elsewhere in the grassland and lost sight of the herd. They would be reprimanded, of course, but not as badly as they would be if their parents knew they were in the forest.

But, like many things in Rhett's short life, their journey did not go according to plan.

"I don't know, Ali." Rhett answered truthfully. "I think that we are lost." Rhett wished that he could get her out of this situation, but he knew that fabricating knowledge that he didn't have would solve nothing. _I learned my lesson about that._ The little sauropod thought to himself.

Ali sighed. She briefly thought that she would have liked Littlefoot to be here in order to help them out, but she immediately quashed that thought. _Then he would be lost just like us._ She thought guiltily. _At least he had enough sense to leave the Great Valley only when it was necessary. Here I am getting us lost for sweet bubbles._ She was quite angry at the situation, but mainly she was angry at herself. She had to admit that Rhett's honesty was not in doubt on this journey. He wasn't of much help in finding a way of it this maze of a forest, but at least he had been brave enough to share the risk with her. _Rhett would have been better off not going with me and trying to talk me out of this._ Ali noted morosely. _He tries so hard to be Littlefoot, when all I need is for Rhett to be Rhett._ She supposed that she was to blame for that. She resolved that she would tell him about her true feelings whenever they got out of this mess.

"Maybe we should try to follow the bright circle?" Ali offered. "We left when it rose and now it's..." She then noticed that the small view of the sky she could see through the forest canopy was turning a deep color of red. It was obviously twilight and the darkness of night would soon follow. _Crap. We are going to be in so much trouble._ "...setting." She then cleared her throat. "So if we go in the other direction, maybe we can find our way back."

Rhett seemed to consider this for a moment before smiling at Ali. It was that confident and disarming smile of his that she greatly loved. "That sounds like a good idea, Ali! Let's go!"

The two longnecks then headed in the general direction of the grassland using the setting bright circle as their guide. Unbeknownst to them, however, they had traveled far too deep into the great forest during their misadventure. They would not be able to reach the sanctuary of the herd before the darkness of night enveloped all.

...

In the darkness of the forest, seven pairs of luminescent eyes could be seen. The twelve pin points of green and two of red made for an ominous sight to any prey that would have seen it. The growls and barks of the assembled hunters silenced all of the buzzers which rested nearby. These seven were in the midst of preparing for a murderous enterprise. They had learned as leaf-eaters that the night was an herbivore's worst nemesis, but now they were about to learn that it was a hunter's best friend.

"Me don't think me be much help. Forest too dark to see." Petrie said to the others. "Me sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Petrie." Chomper affirmed. "You have helped us a lot already."

"Yeah! Let us take care of this!" Cera affirmed. Petrie had helped warn them of danger during both the journey out of the valley and the journey to here. Even Cera had to admit that they would have been trampled or eaten well before now if it wasn't for the well-timed alarm calls of the excitable flyer. He would be of little use during the darkness of the night in a well-covered forest. He should be allowed to take a well-deserved rest.

Petrie was a bit taken aback by the gang's well wishes and answered in a flustered voice. "Uh... Thanks. Me wait here."

Now that left six participants in the hunt. There was Chomper, the temporary leader and designated killer of the group. He would kill whatever the others chased his way. At the very least, he could put their horror and killing another dinosaur at rest for this hunt. Then there was Ducky and Spike. Those two had been selected to be the scouts of the group. They would locate the two tasty morsels and tell the others. This would spare Spike and Ducky both of the guilt in directly taking part of the chase or the kill. Cera and Ruby, on the other hand, were designated by Chomper to be the main chasers. If everything went according to plan, then these two would chase the prey into Chomper's grasp. Littlefoot, on the other hand, would be the backup chaser. He might have to take over the chase if the prey outmaneuvered the others. Likewise, Chomper told Littlefoot, he might have to make the kill if they get past Chomper. Littlefoot looked glum at this possibility, but nodded nonetheless. Chomper knew that if it came down to it, Littlefoot would take whatever action was necessary to help the gang. He might hate himself afterwards, but he would do it all the same. That was why Chomper placed that great responsibility upon him.

"Okay, guys!" Chomper began. "Everyone understand what they are doing?"

As the affirmative grunts and nods were made, Chomper continued his speech. "Remember those gestures that I taught you. We can't let the prey hear us." He had trained the others in basic sharptooth gestures such as those for "I see two", "I smell one", "attack", and "back off". They would need those if they were going to be successful tonight.

"We should search for their smell right now." Chomper affirmed. "When the smell is strong enough, it will be up to you two." He pointed at Ducky and Spike. "To let us know exactly where they are."

He then looked towards Cera and Ruby. "Then you two will chase them towards me." He actually began to smile at the thought of the hunt. The expression that Chomper gave would have scared them when they were leaf-eaters and would possibly have led them to telling Chomper to leave the valley. But, of course, they weren't leaf-eaters anymore and they were barely suppressing their own bloodlust as it was. They had long since lost the right to judge.

"All right! Let's get started!" Chomper exclaimed.

At his call, the six sharpteeth proceeded to sniff through the underbrush of the forest, trying to pinpoint in which direction the two sauropods had traveled. Finding the smell wasn't difficult, but finding the direction in which it became stronger was a more challenging task. Finally, however, Ducky found a good scent trail.

"They went this way. Yep, yep, yep." Ducky affirmed. The others then followed stealthily.

The hunt was on.

...

Ali shifted uncomfortably beside Rhett.

It soon became apparent to the two longnecks that they would not reach the sanctuary of the grassland before nightfall. Deciding that it would be best to rest for the night and try again in the morning, they had settled down to sleep. They wouldn't be able to find their way in the darkness of night anyway.

However, Ali was having great difficulty sleeping on this night. This wasn't just because of her inevitable lecture from her mother, she had already made peace with the fact that they would both be in serious trouble for running away. Rather, it was because she was outside of the protection of the herd. Despite her misgivings about herd life, she could always have relied upon the herd for support and defense in even the darkest moments. To suddenly be away from that protective community caused deep anxiety in the small longneck. _I will never complain about the rules again!_ She thought to herself.

Ali jumped as a sudden loud snore arose from Rhett. _My goodness! That boy can sleep through anything. _She though sardonically, as she nudged him back onto his side. The snoring became more quiet and bearable, but Rhett did not awaken from his slumber. She sighed to herself. _Well at least __he__ is getting some sleep tonight._

Since she was not getting sleep any time soon, she decided to walk around for a bit. Perhaps she could resolve some of her worries as she paced? Then perhaps she could finally get some sleep.

Being careful not to stray too far from Rhett, lest she lose sight of him, she took stock of her surroundings.

They were situated in a small clearing deep within the forest. How deep she could not discern, as they had gotten lost early the day before. The trees were quite close together from an adult longneck's perspective, but still relatively far apart from a child's perspective. The massive trunks of the mighty trees left shadows that seemed to follow her ominously. Part of her mind screamed that there was no telling what horrors hid between those massive trunks. She could not see much farther than several of her lengths in any direction, which further added to her anxiety. _Perhaps this was a bad idea._ She thought to herself. _I feel even worse now._

She was not aware that she under surveillance.

...

_Found you!_ Spike thought to himself.

He and Ducky had led the pack to within a few tree-lengths of the location of their quarry when Chomper gave the signal for the pack to disengage. It was up to them now to pinpoint the exact location of the prey. Only then would they would send word to Ruby and Cera in order to begin the chase. First, however, they had to examine the terrain.

Chomper had told them that leaf-eaters often ran in the path of least-resistance when in a panic, so they should look for obvious paths in their surroundings.

Taking a quick look around, Spike could see that there were several large bushes on three sides of the small clearing that the two sauropods were located. Spike and Ducky were both peering through one of those bushes, as not to give away their location to the female longneck in front of them. He knew that the longneck was female, on account of her smell, not her looks. Although his eyes could see much better in the dark than they ever could as a leaf-eater, his night vision was short on detail. He could very easily pick up on the movements of the longneck, and her distinct neck rising from a stocky body, but he could not see her face or pick up on her expression. Nonetheless, she wasn't running or looking his direction, so she obviously had not yet found them.

He then felt a tapping on his shoulder. It was Ducky!

She pointed at her nose with an exaggerated motion. _She smells..._ She then raised one claw and pointed at her neck. _One longneck._ With a final gesture she pointed with both paws to her left and laid her neck on her paws. _A sleeping longneck?!_ At his expression of surprise, she curtly nodded. It seems that both of their targets had been located.

Spike then tapped on Ducky's shoulder and gave her a nod. He gestured towards the female longneck with both paws in a stalking fashion. It was time to get the chasers of the pack. They would chase them out of the clearing into the only path which wasn't obstructed by thick bushes. That would be the best place for Chomper to lay in wait...

...

Ali shivered in anxiety as she considered how alone they were. They had risked everything for a bunch of stupid sweet bubbles. _Sweet bubbles which we never found._ She reminded herself. She had decided to leave out of a desire to seek adventure and she had tried to convince Rhett out of her own fear of going alone. _This is all my fault!_ She raged at herself.

With shaky legs and an even more unsteady mind, she returned to their sleeping area and lay beside Rhett.

"Hey, are you okay?" Rhett's voice echoed softly. "You're shaking." He noted with more than a little concern.

Ali was surprised to see Rhett awake and, emotional as she was at the moment, she decided to be honest.

"This is all my fault!" She raged at herself. "None of us should be here right now!"

Rhett was taken aback by this outburst and immediately shook away any remaining fatigue that he felt. He would not let her bear herself up over this.

"Don't say that, Ali." He reassured the young longneck. "I decided to come along too. We had no way of knowing that we would get lost."

Ali took a shuddering breath and sighed. "I know. I know. But, I should have known better."

After a few moments of the two laying next to one another, Ali began to calm down. Much to Rhett's surprise, the female longneck began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Rhett asked in utter confusion.

Ali let the laughter subside for a bit before answering. "You know, we are going to be in so much trouble when we get back." Then, at the shear absurdity of the situation, she began to laugh again.

Rhett joined in the light laughter, as they both needed some respite from this crazy situation. They had abandoned their herd for a bunch of fictional sweet bubbles and gotten lost in a pitch-black forest. The entire absurd situation spoke to their youth, naiveté, and inexperience. Sometimes when the darkest times come, you either have to cry at the horror of the situation or laugh at its shear absurdity, and they both had decided to take the healthier option. Regardless of their failings, they both still had their wits about them and retained their determination to get through their current troubles. They both knew that if they stuck together that they could get through anything.

Finally feeling relaxed for the first time since the previous morning, Ali began to drift into a restful sleep. Noticing this, Rhett relaxed and attempted to return to sleep as well.

...

_Good work, guys. _Cera thought to herself. _This should be easy._

Cera could not believe their luck thus far. They were hopelessly inexperienced, with this being their first actual hunt, but yet here they were with their prey literally sleeping in front of them. Well, one of them was asleep anyway. Either way, baring mishaps, the two longnecks simply did not have a chance.

However, she could not entirely dispel the misgivings within her mind. This was it. In mere moments she would begin the chase which would either result in failure and the possibility of starvation or madness, or else it would result in success and the knowledge that she helped to kill another dinosaur. It was quite literally kill or be killed and the starkness of her options was quite frightening to her. Was this the conundrum that faced every sharptooth that the gang had encountered? If so, then how could she judge them?

She shook her head in order to dispel the thoughts in her mind. She had no real choice now and the decision had been made. It was simply up to her and Ruby to do their part. She could deal with the aftermath later on. Right now she had a hunt to begin.

She took a brief glance at Ruby, who was in the bushes beside her. She awaited the signal from the former fast runner.

Ruby saw the glance from the former threehorn and gave her a "hold on" signal by placing both of her forelimbs in front of her. It wasn't that she wasn't ready for the hunt. She most certainly was, despite her misgivings. No, it was that they must be careful in their chase. As she found out during her brief stint as an egg stealer, a poorly executed plan could lead to disaster. Thankfully her father was there at that time... But he wasn't here today and she had to do this alone. If the others were ready to do this despite being former leaf-eaters, then she resolved that she would do everything that she could in order to ensure their success. The survival of the pack demanded this and she would not fail.

She observed the scene in front of her. The two longnecks were curled up beside one another in a rather adorable scene. She immediately choked down her revulsion in the realization of what she was about to do. After all, they had no choice now. They were sleeping in a small depression in the ground which resided between the various bushes on either side. The bushes existed on three sides of the sleeping pair, whereas the remaining side was open, creating a peninsula which lead inevitably to Chomper and death. It was a good plan, which spoke to Spike's good observation skills, Ruby noted. A less observant sharptooth might have simply chased the two in any other direction, in which case they could run in an unforeseen path. However, under their current plan, the actions of the two longnecks were quite predictable. She found nothing that she could add, so she determined that they were ready for the chase.

Looking at Cera with an unreadable expression, she gave her a curt nod.

Cera took in the sight of Ruby confirming her readiness with great relief. _Now we can get this over with!_ Despite her feigned thoughts that this hunt was a distasteful necessity, even she had to admit that part of her looked forward to this hunt. Whether it was bloodlust, her hunger, or something else entirely, part of her wanted this.

And she was about to get her wish. Wasting no time, she decided to begin the festivities. _Well, here it goes..._

With a wave at Ruby, the two slowly began their entrance into the clearing.

...

Rhett was slowly beginning to return to sleep. He had had quite an eventful day. Between their unsuccessful attempt to find sweet bubbles in the forest and their uncertain journey out of the forest, they both had quite a stressful time. However, despite their precarious position at the moment, he actually felt some relief at how he had behaved himself during their journey. He had refrained from lying to Ali and had actually helped to keep her calm during their misadventure. He was finally beginning to act like the heroic dinosaur that he wished that he was.

He then turned in order to look at Ali. She appeared so peaceful during sleep. He wondered what she dreamed about at night. Did she dream of him? Of Littlefoot? Of her father? He remembered the one time that he brought up the question of where her father was and how he was greeted with a grief-filled expression. He immediately assumed that he must have met a violent end, just like most of his family. He hoped that she didn't have dreams about that. He often was haunted by the visions of what he had lost in the months after his herd was decimated and he didn't wish that fate upon anyone. In fact, his brief sleep which was interrupted by Ali was one of the most peaceful rests that he could remember. Perhaps his emotions were beginning to accept that he was not at fault for the deaths of his family members? Either way, he hoped that his second round of sleep of the night would be as peaceful as the first.

**Crack!**

Rhett rose with a start. _What was that!_ Taking a look in the direction where the sound came from provided no obvious sign of what made it. Perhaps he was simply hearing things? Taking a second look, he still couldn't find anything. There were simply bushes and the greenish light from four bright buzzers (fireflies). _Wait a moment, this isn't the season for bright buzzers!_ That was when he noticed one of the "bright buzzers" blink. _Oh crap!_

"Ali! Sharpteeth! Run!" Rhett yelled at the sleeping longneck, as he gave her a forceful push.

Ali woke up immediately upon Rhett's forceful warning. Despite his insistence on running, she looked around frantically in order to find the supposed threat. At first she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but then she saw the four greenish lights which were close and heading right towards her.

"Ahhh!" Ali screamed as she bolted in the opposite direction.

Seeing that his friend had finally decided to flee, Rhett joined her in sprinting away from the predators.

**Snap!**

Rhett barely dodged the bite of a yellowish fast biter as he turned away from the bushes and headed straight out of the clearing. He took a quick look behind him. He was gaining distance on the fast biter! _Ha! So much for being fast!_ He thought triumphantly to himself.

"Ah! Help!" Rhett heard Ali's panicked cry from in front of him.

A purplish fast biter had appeared to sneak past him and was now pursuing Ali. The fast biter was to her right, snapping at her from a location just inside a large line of bushes. Why wasn't he going for the kill? It almost appeared to Rhett as if the fast biters were attempting to lead them somewhere. He immediately dismissed the thought. Why would they do that? He needed to help Ali get away from the predator, but how?

He looked from side to side and noted that the bushes cleared to their right. Maybe they could turn here and outmaneuver their pursuers? He figured that it was worth an attempt.

"Ali! Turn right!" Rhett yelled.

As the two sauropods turned suddenly into the opening, the two fast biters seemed to fall back. Rhett beamed at this. _We're losing them!_ _Thank goodness sharpteeth are stupid!_

As the two longnecks continued in their high speed run, Cera and Ruby reduced their speed to a steady jog. They exchanged a brief glance at one another and gave each other a wide grin. It was all in Chomper's paws now...

...

Ali was running as fast as she could, but she was quickly tiring. She didn't know if she could keep up the pace and escape from her pursuers. They seemed to have slowed from their initial velocity, but nonetheless they were still keeping up the pace with her. She knew that something would soon have to give.

She looked to her side and saw that Rhett was keeping pace with her. He had undoubtedly saved her life when he urged her to turn right. Part of her reflected that he was becoming the true hero that he had only pretended to be when they had first met. She would have to thank him whenever they got out of this. _If they got out of this._ Part of her mind added.

She noted that they were quickly entering another clearing. She could now see a bit more now that the glow from the night circle could shine through the clearing in the forest canopy. There were large patches of grasses and bushes in this clearing, whose existence were made possible by the absence of trees. The lack of trees led to a lack of discernible shadows in this small space.

After the duo had entered the clearing, Ali looked behind her and noted that the two fast biters had stopped. They almost appeared to be waiting for something. _What are they doing?_ Ali thought to herself. She then around her and noted that two more fast biters had taken up positions by the trees on either side of them. They were trapped.

"Oh no, Rhett!" Ali screamed. "They've got us!"

Rhett appeared to look uncomprehendingly at the scene around him for a moment. Then, after the realization hit him, he noticeably swallowed and turned back towards Ali.

"Stay close to me, Ali!" Rhett called. He was absolutely petrified at the moment, but he knew that their best chance was to stick together. He was going through the same conflict that others go through when faced with a life-threatening situation. Should one take flight or fight? Now that flight was no longer an option, Rhett had decided to meet the threat head on. It was not a rational response, but then again, no instinctual responses are rational. His best friend was faced with certain death and he would not let her face that alone. He had made that mistake once. He would not do so again.

That was when they saw something enter the clearing that shocked them beyond all belief.

"Chomper!"

...

Chomper looked at the scene before him and nearly froze in his tracks.

_Rhett and Ali? I have to kill Rhett and Ali?_ Chomper repeated in his mind. It was almost as if the entire universe were playing a sick joke at their expense. Of all of the leaf-eaters on the planet for them to hunt, it had to be two of Littlefoot's friends. Taking stock of the situation, he realized that the others probably had not yet identified them. The opening in the forest canopy in this clearing provided limited light, something that was lacking elsewhere as well. However, he could still understand the leaf-eater language and thus knew very well who these two longnecks were. If the gang had identified the duo during the chase then Chomper suspected that the hunt would have been botched, hunger or no hunger. It was up to him now to do what the others were unwilling to do. He would make the kill. But more so than any other kill in his short life, he would deeply regret this.

In order to avoid informing the others of who the prey was, he decided to speak in the leaf-eater language. The others could lament their actions after the deed was done, but this simply had to happen.

"I'm so sorry." Chomper said in a regretful voice. "I will make this quick."

Ali cowered behind Rhett as he looked at the sharptooth with a stunned expression.

Chomper then went into a stalking posture and advanced at the duo...

...

_This can't be happening!_ Ali thought to herself. It appeared like this was it. She was going to die at the claws of Chomper, the only sharptooth that she had ever considered a friend, and no one would ever know what happened to them. Worst of all, she knew that this was all her fault. If only she hadn't been so foolish to leave the herd... If only she hadn't urged Rhett to go with her... But there was nothing that could change any of that now. So she cowered behind Rhett and awaited the end with her friend.

"Ali." Rhett uttered softly.

After a split second with no answer he tried again. "Ali!"

"Huh?" Ali responded. Her mind was still numb with the panic that comes with impending doom.

"The fast biters are everywhere, except in front of us." Rhett stated the obvious. "We could run forward! We just have to get past Chomper!"

"But... Rhett..." Ali replied, but she was cut off.

"It's our only chance! Let's go!" Rhett commanded. Upon seeing Ali stand still with a perplexed expression, he tried again. "Let's go!"

With that Ali regained her bearings and joined Rhett in his run straight at the advancing sharptooth. They both were engaging in one final, risk gambit to escape their pursuers.

...

"What the..." Chomper uttered as the two longnecks sprinted in his direction.

As a sharptooth, he had become accustomed to having his food run from him or attempt to hide, but he was unaccustomed to the food running at him. With each sprinting side-by-side, he realized that he would only have a chance to attack one of them. _Good strategy._ He noted. Most leaf-eaters would either cower or fight futilely. _It is a shame that one of you have to die..._

As the two longnecks approached he could hear the footsteps get louder and louder. They were running madly, almost in a daze, towards an unknown destination. The two longnecks were acting in a panic, he noted. _Dangerous._ Some part of his mind deduced. Even an herbivore could become dangerous when it believed that it had nothing to lose. He would need to aim his attack well.

**Stomp... Stomp...**

_Get claws ready._ His mind commanded as he prepared to attack.

**Stomp... Stomp...**

Chomper then placed the weight of his body onto the toes of his feet in preparation for a lunging strike. He would have to make this count. Otherwise, it would be up to Littlefoot...

**Stomp... Stomp...**

The male was slowing a bit. _Perhaps to make sure the female is okay?_ His mind deduced. He would make a far better target as he was distracted. The time was approaching.

**Stomp...**

Chomper could feel the rush of air as Ali ran past him. That meant that the male was a mere fleeting moment away. Now was the time to strike.

**Shluk!**

"Ahhhh!" Rhett screamed in agony as Chomper's clawed paws sliced through his right hind limb. Chomper's claws ripped through muscle and sinew as the leg was ripped from knee to calf. Bright red blood spewed from the wound and splattered upon Chomper's prone body. He had put everything into his attack and it had paid off. The longneck may not have been mortally wounded, but he was certainly crippled at this point.

"Rhett!" Ali screamed.

"Run, Ali! Just run!" He screamed through the unbearable pain.

The two sauropods then ran out of the clearing, with the male lagging noticeably behind. As he slowly rose from his prone position, Chomper noted his handiwork. One of the longnecks was severely injured. The rest was up to Littlefoot at this point.

_Your turn, Littlefoot._

...

Littlefoot couldn't see much from his vantage point, but he could see the blur of the longnecks as they ran past Chomper. _Darn it! Why me!_ He complained inwardly. It was up to him to make the kill now.

With a heavy heart, he placed his weight upon the front of his hind legs and burst into a flurry of motion. First, he had to get closer to his quarry in order to assess their condition. As it was, he was unsure if Chomper had injured any of them. He had heard a pained yell, but he could not ascertain the source. _If they have hurt Chomper..._ Littlefoot thought darkly to himself and he quickened his pace in his anger. He would soon deal with these longnecks...

As he advanced on the two longnecks, he could smell the beautifully sweet scent of blood. The smell was emanating from both the ground and the retreating longnecks. _Chomper injured one of them. Good. _Littlefoot thought to himself. The fact that one of them was injured meant that Chomper was probably not the one who screamed in pain. This greatly relieved the former longneck as he continued to advance on his former companions.

As Littlefoot weaved around the trunks of the plentiful trees in his advance on his quarry, he noted that the trunks were slowly becoming thinner and more plentiful. This was a clear sign that they were reaching the end of the forest and would soon enter the grassland where the herd was located. Littlefoot had to make his move soon or he would lose his chance. _I can't let that happen._ He thought. _The gang is depending on me._

He had advanced within five body-lengths of the lagging longneck and could now notice that it was severely injured. He was stumbling and noticeably limping on his right hind limb. Chomper had made a very good strike on this one. Littlefoot reflected that this one would probably die anyway, as it could not survive in a migrating herd with such a crippling injury. This helped calm him about what he had to do. He would now simply be hastening the inevitable.

Suddenly the light of the night circle began to shine upon Littlefoot's face, as the trees fell behind him. _Crap! They're out of the forest!_ Seeing that the injured longneck was within one body-length of him, he decided to make his move. Placing his weight firmly on the claws of his hind feet, he leaped at the longneck with all of his might.

"Ahhhh!"

Littlefoot's attack had met its mark. His sharp sickle claws dug into Rhett's sides, securing Littlefoot onto his back. The weight of the fast biter's body caused his claws to slice through the abdomen and begin to expose its contents on either side. This alone would have constituted a mortal injury. However Littlefoot, acting on this killing instinct, also bit into Rhett's back, greedily ripping at the flesh where his neck intersected with his torso. With a sickening crack, Rhett's vertebrae shattered under the pressure. With a violent lurch, Rhett crumbled to the ground and Littlefoot was sent hurdling off of the paralyzed longneck.

As he lay flat on the ground, the fast biter struggled to catch his breath. The sudden fall had knocked the air out of him and for quite some time he was indisposed. After some time, however, he glanced in the direction of the collapsed body of the longneck.

He had done it. He had brought the longneck down.

...

Pain. Unimaginable pain.

Then nothing.

Rhett was horrified and confused by the sudden turn of events. The fast biter had obviously caught up to him and had attacked him from behind. Now suddenly he couldn't feel much of anything at all.

He tried to will his legs to move in order to continue his escape, but nothing happened. _Why... Why can't I move my legs! Why can't I feel my legs!_

Rhett tried to scream but his voice only came out in a muffled wet gasp. With a horrific realization, he realized that he had a metallic taste in his mouth. He was bleeding internally.

_I'm dying._ Rhett realized. However, that realization did not strike him with any more terror than what he had already experienced. It seemed that as his body was shutting down, so was his ability to be horrified. The calm that often came before death had descended upon Rhett. For reasons that he could not explain, he knew that he only had moments left.

_Was this what daddy felt?_ He reflected. He supposed that he would soon go to wherever his family went. He mused that perhaps that was why his family did not haunt his dreams during his last sleepstory. Perhaps they knew that he would soon be joining him.

He could hear footsteps approaching his head as a brown fast biter came into view. He had a grim expression on his face. Rhett fully expected that this was the end.

But the fast biter did not advance.

Rhett observed that the fast biter suddenly had a horrified expression on his face, as if he had seen a ghost. _I suppose that is what I am at this point._ He noted darkly.

His now immovable neck kept his head prone upon the ground, facing the brown fast biter. However, he could now also see the rapidly retreating form of Ali. He could hear her shrieks of grief as she ran to the herd. _At least she made it. _Rhett thought to himself. _At least I did that._ Whatever misgivings that he had about his past evaporated as he noted what he had accomplished. He couldn't save his father or his siblings. He had hidden behind his mother as they were ripped to shreds in the attack on his original herd. For so long he had felt that he was a coward, that he could have done more. Now, in his final moments, he realized that at least Ali would survive. She would live, love, and continue on. Perhaps she would even tell his tale one day... She was his legacy. Secure in this knowledge, for a brief moment in his short life, he was at peace.

With his vision dimming and his mind becoming foggy, he had one final coherent thought.

_I'm sorry, Ali. Live a good life._

And then he knew no more.

* * *

**Once again, thank you all for your responses! **

**Littlefootxcera:** Thanks for the response! Yeah, Littlefoot's sharptooth side is coming out more and more. He is still the same dinosaur that we all love, but he has a harder edge to him.

**NorthAmericanJaguar:** I hope that you don't have to stop reading. The main reason I am bumping up the rating is because of incidental violence (the gang is going to be hunting, after all) and under the guidelines of this site that would constitute an M rating. I had to raise the rating out of an excess of caution.

**RichardTerminator:** Indeed she does! I wanted to show that overtly in this story, because I think that some fans simply see her as uncaring or callous even though she has emotional moments in the film. Since she is a fast biter now she has even more reason to keep her emotions restrained.

**gordhanx:** I am glad that you enjoyed the Chomper flashback. I wanted to show the angst that he went through when he first hunted in order to show how the gang (um... pack) will feel when it is their turn to kill. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. As Littlefoot's reaction indicates, he is going to have some major soul-searching due to his actions.

**A Guest**: Don't worry the language will be kept at a PG-13 level in my story.

**Thanks everyone for the responses! I should have the next chapter posted within a week.**


	16. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the delay, everyone. School work has kept me occupied lately.**

* * *

**Chapter 15 Joining of the pack**

**_"That's just the first part. What others call you, you become. It's a terrible magic that everyone can do — so do it. Call yourself what you wish to become." ― Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two_**

Littlefoot looked in horror at the dead longneck.

His eyes, forever opened with the onset of death, seemed to stare at him in an accusatory manner. As if to say to the former longneck "Why?" The attack that Littlefoot had wrought onto Rhett's body was horrific in its brutality, which further added to Littlefoot's inner turmoil. The little longneck's body lay broken on the blood-soaked ground. His back was shattered; with the gaping teeth marks clearing indicated the cause. His viscera lay exposed onto the ground, his abdomen having been ripped open from both sides. It was a truly sickening sight. Rhett's mutilated body would stir no more.

"What have I done?!" Littlefoot wailed into the night.

He had done it. He knew going into the hunt that he might be the one who would have to make the kill. He also realized that regardless of how this hunt went that they would all have to kill now. It was unlikely that they would be able to change back anytime soon. If they were able to change back at all... However, it was just too much. He had just butchered another dinosaur. As if that wasn't enough he had just murdered one of his friends... and one the best friends of Ali. Which must have meant...

_Were... Were we chasing Ali too?!_

That realization hit him like a pile of boulders. Not only had he killed one of his friends, and one of the friends of Ali, but he had nearly killed Ali. If Chomper had decided to attack Ali instead or if Rhett had been able to run a bit faster... He tried to imagine what Ali was going through right now. She had just seen her best friend get annihilated by a fast biter and she was nearly killed herself. He thought back to what she went through when his mother died. Yes, he could imagine what she was going through. Part of his mind accused that he was just like the sharptooth that killed his mom, in that he had killed a beloved dinosaur without mercy.

With this final thought he collapsed to the ground and proceeded to weep.

_Oh, mother! What have I done?_

...

Chomper was running at a steady pace towards where the two sauropods had run.

_I hope Littlefoot was able to finish the job. _Chomper thought. _We need the food!_

He felt a bit guilty of having his best friend actually make the kill. He realized that they had no choice in what he had done and that any other member of the gang might have lacked the inner fortitude to do what was necessary. But nonetheless, he hated what he had put his friend through. It was bad enough when Chomper had to make his first kill and he was simply hatched by leaf-eaters. He couldn't imagine what a born and raised leaf-eater would feel after making a kill on his former kind. He realized that Littlefoot might very well descend into despair after the act. However, he resolved that he would be there in order to hold Littlefoot together. He knew that once Littlefoot began to eat in his current state that the rest would come naturally... and once the physical needs of the group were met then he could attend to their mental needs.

As he approached the edge of the forest, he noticed that the trail of blood became noticeable more prominent. _I really got Rhett good._ Chomper reflected. He felt some guilt at this. True, the arrogant braggart had lied to Ali and reacted cowardly when Chomper had arrived to confront him, but he was still a kid. A kid that still had his whole life in front of him. Now, providing that everything went well, that young life would soon be snuffed out. He hoped that Rhett did not suffer for too long. At the very least, he deserved a quick end.

As he left the canopy of the forest he could hear crying some distance ahead of him. The cries of a fast biter. He could also smell the scent of blood. Lots of blood.

He immediately quickened his pace. "I am coming, Littlefoot!" The small sharptooth was very concerned. Had Littlefoot been injured? He would never forgive himself if Littlefoot was injured while he was in command. They were all depending on him. How could he let them down?

As he approached the sound of the sobbing, however, it soon became apparent what had happened.

In the grassland, just outside of the forest, the night circle gave enough reflected light in order to illuminate the scene. Chomper could clearly see the decimated body of a young longneck. The young one's back had been shattered with an obscene amount of force. His intestines and viscera were spilled onto the adjacent ground. Looking up, Chomper could see the source of these grievous wounds. It was Littlefoot. His brown scales were covered with the bright red blood to such an extent that there was little difference between his scales and his naturally red crest feathers. The grotesque scene would have frightened any leaf-eater, and actually gave Chomper some pause, but it was the fact that Littlefoot actually did all of this that surprised him the most. Now, this bloodthirsty killer was doing what no outside observer would have expected.

He was weeping openly in a show of unrestrained grief. Littlefoot had not even noticed Chomper on his approach.

Chomper's expression went from his harsh, stern expression to a look of understanding and sympathy. It seemed that Littlefoot had discovered the identity of his quarry. He didn't expect Littlefoot to forgive himself in the immediate future, but he did hope that he could regain control over himself. He already knew the necessity of their actions, but he needed time to accept them. In the meantime, Chomper would do what he had to do right now.

And that was to simply be there.

"Littlefoot?" Chomper called softly.

The fast biter looked up from his handiwork and noticed his sharptooth friend looking at him with an understanding expression. His face was not accusing, nor coddling, but rather seemed to convey a simple message.

_Now you know what it is like to be a sharptooth._

Indeed he did. Littlefoot took a look at his clawed forelimbs and noted that they were drenched in the same still-warm blood which coated everything else in the vicinity. Slowly looking back down at his handiwork, he noted that he could see his own reflection in the pool of blood which had poured from the hapless longneck's body. The reflection which stared back at him was not one that he would have recognized several days ago. It was the reflection of a sharptooth after a hunt. It was the image of a killer.

_Because I am a killer now._

This realization seemed to make something break in the poor fast biter. He could no longer hang onto his leaf-eater side with the knowledge of what he had just done. If her were to ever go back to his old form, how would he live with himself? He was a sharptooth now, he realized, and there was no going back. Even if they were able to change back, he was unsure if he would take the opportunity. In a way, his mourning was not just for Rhett, but for the death of his own leaf-eater side. The intellectual change had already occurred, now the emotional catharsis had arrived. He cried not in despair, nor in rebellion, but in resignation. He was on the other side of the great circle of life now, and nothing could change that.

Littlefoot began to dry his eyes, ignoring the sting as Rhett's blood made contact to the nictitating membranes of his eyes. He then looked at Chomper with an exhausted expression. Chomper was approaching him slowly, Littlefoot noted. It was at this time that Chomper decided to speak.

"It gets easier." Chomper stated softly as he placed his forelimb upon Littlefoot's shoulder.

Littlefoot thought for a moment before responding. "I'm not sure that I want it to get easier." He admitted truthfully. He looked at the purple sharptooth with a forlorn expression. "What monster will I be when I no longer care?"

It was a question that Chomper had asked himself in the past. However, Chomper had the benefit of years to confront that question whereas Littlefoot only had a few days. Chomper decided to tell the former longneck his resolution to the problem.

"We always need to remember." Chomper affirmed. "If we do that, then we will always care." He then looked at Littlefoot with a contemplative expression. "We can be good sharpteeth, Littlefoot, but we can't be nice sharpteeth. Not anymore." Chomper shook his head with a resigned expression. "I wish it wasn't so."

The two then embraced slightly as Littlefoot began to calm down. He could not change the past so it was useless to despair over it. He recognized that his own instincts were assisting him in pushing his reservations aside, but right now he didn't care. He had no choice at this point, so he might as well make peace with the inevitable.

As the two broke the embrace, they both looked at the dead longneck.

Littlefoot couldn't deny that, despite his lingering horror, the sight before him was incredibly appetizing. There was more than enough tasty meat in front of him to feed the gang twice over. He could almost taste it already... The sweet, yet metallic, blood... The savory muscle... The squishy texture... Now that his misgivings had been pushed aside for the moment, his primal need for meat was coming to the fore. This change was not lost on Chomper. Remembering his etiquette from his mother, Chomper spoke again.

"Go ahead, Littlefoot. It was your kill. You get the first bite."

With his insatiable hunger nearly at a breaking point, Littlefoot needed no further prompting to accept Chomper's offer. With a salivating mouth and hunger-crazed eyes, he dug into Rhett's neck with his razor sharp teeth. Finally, the uncontrollable and painful hunger was being fulfilled.

Seeing that Littlefoot was occupied with his dinner, Chomper decided to begin his meal as well. He had always enjoyed partaking of the tender meat of longneck tails... That was when he heard the footsteps of the others.

Looking at the others he noted that they were about ready to snap as well. Even Petrie had a noticeably vacant look in his eyes as his hunger was obviously overpowering his reason._ They probably won't even realize that they are eating Rhett._ Chomper deduced, noting their apparent mental states. Taking a quick look back at Littlefoot he could hear the crunch as he bit down on a portion of Rhett's skull. _I suppose they won't be able to identify him now anyway. _Deciding that it was time to invite the others for dinner before they violently invited themselves, Chomper called to the gang.

"Dig in, guys! There is plenty for everyone!"

They needed no further motivation as the entire pack descended upon the longneck corpse like a group of vultures. As the sound of snapping bones, tearing flesh, and chewing jaws echoed into the night, the sounds of everything else were drown out. The pack could not hear the loud cries of Ali as she explained the fate of Rhett to the rest of her herd. However, as they finished their meal quite some time later, they could begin to hear the pained wail of Rhett's mother from a great distance. In the span of one night, the great circle of life had shown its favor upon them and again took from the poor longneck. She was now completely alone.

...

Having eaten their fill, the seven sharpteeth began to regain their senses. They were covered in sinew and gore after their impromptu feast on the fallen longneck. They looked like something out of their bad sleepstories back when they were leaf-eaters, but their former nightmares had become their current reality. Six of the seven had participated in a hunt, either directly or indirectly, and even Petrie had greedily feasted upon the exploits of their kill. They were all implicated in their murderous deed.

Each reacted to this situation in their unique way.

Ruby was taken aback by her actions. She knew that they would have to eat a longneck in order to survive, but she was ashamed that she had done so in an uncontrolled fashion. They had behaved like a pack of out of control beasts. They had literally ripped the longneck limb from limb in their ravenous hunger. Now, little more than bones remained. Ruby speculated about what her mommy and daddy would think. _They were right to fear sharpteeth._ She reflected. _They... we... are dangerous._

Cera, Spike, Ducky, and Petrie, meanwhile, were beginning to congregate around one another and talk in hushed tones. They were each dismayed by their actions, but for some reason they did not feel the soul-crushing apprehension that they felt earlier. Perhaps it was the mental connection that anything that tasted that good couldn't be that bad? Perhaps it was their instincts telling them to get over their past grievances? Or perhaps they simply had no more tears to shed? For whatever reason they seemed to be holding themselves together this time.

Chomper and Littlefoot, meanwhile, were each sitting close to one another.

Littlefoot was thinking about what they should do now. They had just killed another living creature, surely that required some kind of acknowledgement or response? _It wouldn't be right to simply say: Great work, guys! Let's try to kill some more tomorrow!_ The former longneck thought to himself in a flourish of dark humor. It was odd though, whereas before such a passing thought would have put him in a dower mood, now it seemed to actually be a source of actual humor to him. This filled him with some concern and disgust. Surely, he was not finding humor in the death of others? If so, then he was turning into quite the monster indeed.

Littlefoot then looked back towards what remained of Rhett. He still felt a pang of regret and sadness. _Well, that's good._ He thought. If he still remembered what it was like to be a longneck and still felt regret at the taking of life, then he was not a monster. He was simply a sharptooth trying to get some relief by finding some humor out of a dark and absurd situation. Littlefoot didn't know it, but this was a trait that many sharpteeth had. Having a questionable sense of humor was a far better coping mechanism that lashing out at others. One path led to an unbearable personality like Red Claw. The other led to those like Chomper's dad.

Chomper noted the change in tone of his friends with some relief. It seemed that they were beginning to adapt to their new lot in life with remarkable speed. No doubt this was due to their sudden resolution of hunger. Now that they had experienced the hunger madness they would do anything to avoid that again. Chomper had no doubt that they would not need much prompting to kill the next time that the situation warranted it.

Nonetheless a curious atmosphere seemed to be settling over the group. They were in a similar situation that an outsider faced when integrating with a totally new herd. Very often they would discard their old ways in favor of the customs of the herd they found themselves in. This was especially noted in those herds that welcomed them with open arms. Many times these new recruits to a herd would become even more dedicated to their new companions than the original members actually were. In the case of the gang, they were slowly becoming ready to accept the new life that had befallen them, but were unsure how to do so.

Chomper realized, with some amusement, that he would have to be the one to tell them of the finer points of sharptooth life. This was very ironic to him, as many in the Mysterious Beyond considered him an outlier of sorts. A sharptooth who allied with leaf-eaters, a stranger to his own kind. Now he would have to teach the others how to carry themselves in their new lives. He was uncertain of his suitability as a teacher, but he resolved to do his best nonetheless. He owed it to all of them.

With a tap on Littlefoot's shoulder, he whispered into his ear. "I think that it's your pack again. The hunt is over."

Littlefoot nodded to the purple sharptooth, before embracing him in a tight hug. He knew full well that they all would have starved or attacked one another if it wasn't for Chomper's assistance. They owed him much.

Littlefoot then cleared his throat in order to get the attention of the others.

"So... um..." He began. _Man, I am not good at this._ He reflected for a moment. "We are no longer hungry." He looked at all of the others as he said this. "But it came at a high cost." He said as he looked at Rhett's corpse.

Nods and affirmative grunts bellowed from the gang. Cera, however, decided to speak.

"It... didn't suffer too much did it?" Though she would not admit it, her lingering guilt over her actions were clear for all to see. She wanted to think that the poor thing at least had a quick end.

Littlefoot simply gave Cera look that made her expression turn more solemn. It was not clear to the assembled dinosaurs that their first hunt was a rather brutal one.

"Chomper got his leg... and I finished Rhett off." Littlefoot confirmed

The others immediately rose at that proclamation and responded in shocked tones.

"Rhett?" Ruby questioned.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Ducky lamented.

Cera took a few moments to catch her bearing before she responded. "Is that true?" She then paused for a moment as the full realization set in. "Did we... eat Rhett?"

Littlefoot simply nodded.

Ducky and Spike took on solemn expressions, while Cera and Ruby were still shocked by the revelation. Petrie, meanwhile, had an unreadable expression. Chomper observed their responses in silence.

Littlefoot then continued. "I think the other longneck that we were chasing was Ali."

This did not cause as much of a response from the others, as many of them had already deduced that information. Each of them were now trying to wrap their minds around the fact that they had killed a dinosaur that they considered a friend, and had chased another that they considered a very good friend. How could they ever go back now? They were left to confront the same horrible truths that Littlefoot had been processing many moments before.

"Are we bad sharpteeth now?" Ducky asked softly. Although the former hadrosaur was not crying, Chomper knew that she was on the cusp of losing control. Regardless of whether she was a leaf-eater or sharptooth, Ducky was still the loving soul that she always was. That was what made this fundamental truth very hard for the green fast biter to take.

"No, Ducky." Chomper began. "We are just sharpteeth and sometimes we have to kill."

Ducky looked deeply at Chomper for a few moments. With her new fast biter eyes, Chomper noted that it almost appeared as if she were staring straight into his soul. The luminescent green orbs appeared to lay everything bear. After a few moments she averted her eyes slightly and nodded. This was what she was now and she had no choice but to accept the inevitable.

Ruby looked at the bloody remains of Rhett with a contemplative expression. Her clawed paw reaching her chin in a ponderous expression. Finally, she spoke.

"He didn't deserve that." Ruby observed with a morose expression. She hadn't known the two longnecks well, as she had only met them once, however she knew that they were good dinosaurs. They had killed an innocent on this night.

Chomper looked at his former caregiver for a moment, before answering with a sad truth. "They never do. But nothing can be done about it." He then shook his head. "We have to eat."

An anxious silence permeated throughout the gang as each tried to reconcile themselves with their actions that night. Each knew that they couldn't have hoped for a better outcome, but that did not make the truth of their actions any easier to take. The silence lasted for several moments as no one wanted to break the quiet.

Finally, Littlefoot decided to break the intractable silence.

"So um..." Littlefoot began again, seemingly at a loss at what to do. What did a pack do after it killed someone? It wasn't a question that he pondered as a longneck for very obvious reasons. For that reason he directed his next statement at Chomper. "What do sharpteeth do after they... you know... hunt?"

Chomper nodded at Littlefoot's question and answered carefully. "Well... We could go to sleep. We still have a long journey ahead of us."

Cera interjected at this. "Just like that... we go to sleep?" She was surprised at the callousness of the proposed action. How could they brutally rip someone apart and just go to sleep as if they were tired after an evening meal... _Oh right. _ She reflected darkly. _We did just have a meal didn't we?_

Chomper nodded, before continuing. "But when new pack members join a pack they are initiated first."

Ruby inquired at this. "Initiated? What do you mean, Chomper?" Despite the horrific implications of what they had just gone through, she had to admit that she was curious about how sharpteeth behaved. She was always hungry for new information and this often got her into trouble during her younger days in the Mysterious Beyond. But she just couldn't help herself. She was a curious girl at heart and, much like Littlefoot, would strike off on her own in order to find out about the world around her. With her stint as Chomper's caregiver she had tampered her impulses with the responsibility expected of a young dinosaur of her age, but she still had that adventurous streak in her. She supposed that she always would.

Chomper pondered for a moment about how he would explain this.

"In... uh... sharptooth life you don't have just one name." He stopped for a moment. How in the heck was he supposed to explain this to former leaf-eaters? He began to pace as he began dictating to the gang

"You have the name that you are hatched with." He resumed his speech. "Like Littlefoot." He said as he walked by the former longneck. "Or Cera." He said as he passed the yellowish fast biter. "But then you have your pack name."

Ruby was perplexed by this. "Why do we need a pack name, Chomper?" She inquired. "If I am already Ruby then why do I need to be called something else? I would not want to be called something else unless I was something else."

Chomper knew that question would arise, so he addressed it the best that he could. "A pack name is like an earned name. It says something about you."

As the others gave him blank stares, he decided to explain.

"For example, my true name is Path." The others were surprised by this. "Oh come on, guys! You don't think my mommy and daddy actually called me Chomper did you?" As they nodded, he continued. "That would be like calling Littlefoot 'Longneck' or calling Cera 'Tree Rammer' or calling Spike um... never mind. It's just not a good sharptooth name." He decided to get his train of thought back on track.

"After my first hunt, my daddy gave me my pack name. We hunted together so we three were a pack on that day." He explained. "I was named Path because I am a land path (bridge) between leaf-eaters and sharpteeth." He then continued. "I was hatched by you guys... But I am a sharptooth, that's why I got my name."

"So pack members get a name based on what they are like?" Littlefoot asked.

Chomper nodded at his understanding. "Yes, Littlefoot. I guess we could still call one another by our old names, but we also need to have pack names when we see other sharpteeth."

Cera interjected. "Hmph! Well I think that this idea is stupid. My name is perfectly fine."

Chomper rolled his eyes, but then took on a more serious expression. "Cera, would you have done what you did as a leaf-eater?"

"What? Of course not!" She responded as if the idea were absurd.

"Then should you still have that name? You are not the same dinosaur are you?" Chomper replied.

This realization stunned Cera and the others into silence. They weren't the same dinosaurs anymore were they? Did this mean that they simply had to move on and try to be someone else? It was a horrifying possibility.

Chomper continued. "When a kid is ready to hunt they are beginning to grow up. That is what my mommy told me. We can no longer act like babies; instead we have to act older."

"Kind of like the Great Longneck Test?" Littlefoot interjected.

"Um... Yeah." Chomper replied.

Silence fell on the dinosaurs for a second time in the last few moments.

Cera sighed. "Fine. Give us new names, but don't expect me to ever use mine." She said in an indignant tone.

Chomper nodded "Of course! My mommy and daddy still called me Chomper even after my special naming day." He paused for a moment. "But if another sharptooth called me that then I would probably bite them."

The others laughed at Chomper's statement. It seemed that even if you gave him a more dignified name, you couldn't take the chomp out of Chomper. The only question now was what were they going to be named? How would they demand that other sharpteeth refer to them as? Chomper still needed to explain the ritual to them.

"How do we do this?" Spike asked inquisitively. He was skeptical of the relevance of this "initiation" but it obviously meant a lot to sharpteeth. Since they were sharpteeth now it only made sense that they should follow along.

"Well when my mommy and daddy renamed me, they said that the leader of the hunt did the naming." Chomper thought for a moment. "In my case it was my parents that were the 'leaders', but I think with fast biters it is different..." He paused for a moment. "I guess that I could do the naming. After all, you all named me!" He reminded them.

At the unsure shrugs of some of the gang and the reluctant nods of a few others, Chomper gestured with his small forelimbs. "Okay everyone! Get in a circle."

As the gang began to form a semicircle around Chomper, each was taking the renaming with varying degrees of acceptance.

Littlefoot did not much mind, as he had been told that "Littlefoot" was actually his father's nickname. Ever since he had been told that, he realized that he too would be expected to take a more appropriate name when he got older. Sometimes he even mused that he might be called Mr. Longneck by some of the residents when he grew older, more responsible, and more boring... _But of course that isn't going to happen now._ He thought mournfully.

Cera too realized that sometimes adults when by different names when they were older. Her father was a prime example, having been named Topsy by his mother. As he grew older and tried to gain respect he had dropped his old name and demanded to be called Topps. Very few dinosaurs, except Tria, would dare call him Topsy now. However, Cera had always liked her name and had no intention of losing it. Even if it no longer fit her anymore... Nonetheless she would humor Chomper. They would have to have more appropriate names when encountering other sharpteeth anyway. Although she was ignorant of sharptooth society, she was quite sure that the names such as "Ducky" and "Littlefoot" wouldn't exactly make their competitors quake in fear.

_Where did that last thought come from?_ Cera mused.

As the gang settled into their places, Chomper stepped into the middle of the circle. He was not an expert at this. Heck, he was just a child himself. However, he had gone through this ritual before which was more than what his friends had encountered. Despite his youth and inexperience, he would try to do this ritual justice. This was the gang's ceremonial entry into sharptooth life, a most solemn occasion. After this they would truly be one pack.

He began to walk along the inside of the circle and called out their names one by one.

"Littlefoot."

At the mention of his name the brown fast biter rose to his full height. His crimson crest and limb feathers gleamed under the light of the night circle. Although he did not quite understand this strange ritual, something in his instincts seemed to tell him that it was time to be at attention. The ritual had begun.

"Cera."

The yellowish fast biter rose with an unsure expression on her face. Despite her misgivings about getting a new name, she had to admit that she was somewhat excited about what was coming. She wondered where that emotion was coming from...

"Ruby."

The rose-colored fast biter stood up at the mention of her name. Fast runner society had its fair share of rituals, far more than what the leaf-eaters had. From the ceremonial bath prior to one's star day, to the great test of speed, they had many ways to mark the passage of time and the coming of new life stages. She supposed that this was another one of those stages for her to acknowledge. To her knowledge, no one had ever turned into a sharptooth before, but nonetheless she and her friends had. She resolved to mark the occasion and try to deal with her new lot in life to the best of her abilities. It wasn't like she had much of a choice now.

"Petrie."

Petrie rose to his full height... Or at least as far as his new body would allow. Although he felt much more maneuverable in the air, he found that he could only walk and stand in a quadruped posture in his new form, using his wings as a second pair of "legs". That was why he spent a lot more time in the air ever since the change. With regards to the ritual, he took a pragmatic view of the proceedings. He was no longer a leaf-eater flyer and he would have to take on a name better suited for his kind. It was unlikely that he would ever see his loved ones again, he reflected, so it was probably best for him to put that part of his life behind him. He had a new life now and he had to accept that. Although his new mind was willing to readily accept this momentous change, his emotions were not ready to throw his old life away. This split in his outlook caused great anxiety in the young flyer. This ritual would not change that.

"Spike."

The green fast biter stood as the others had done in the previous few moments. As a spiketail he never really understood the importance of rituals. To him such social graces, including the gang's incessant talking, were superficial things that took away from the things that truly mattered. He did not need to talk to his friends in order to know their feelings. All he had to do was observe. The transformation had not changed that second point, he was still very observant. However, he noticed that the things he had once considered "superficial" actually meant a lot more in his mind now that he was a sharptooth. Although he couldn't have known it at the time, Spike was now more focused on the pack dynamics that permeated sharptooth society. Such social graces were now part of his existence and he had to adapt to them. With such mental and physical changes having already beset him, Spike did not mind one additional change. He supposed that a new name could signify his transition into the new sharptooth Spike. However, he resolved that he, and he alone, would determine what being a sharptooth meant to him. But nonetheless, the change had been made. Now it was simply time to acknowledge it.

"Ducky."

Ducky was the last to rise. She was still in a bit of a daze from her participation in the feast. She was a killer now and she did not know how to reconcile that with her gentle nature. True, she did not actually make the kill, but her help had made the entire enterprise possible. She was certain that even if she could have changed back into her old form, that her mother wouldn't be able to recognize her. The mental anguish was simply too much. She had seen and done too much. In a way she hoped that this renaming would allow them to put some of their misgivings behind them. She had no choice but to live as a sharptooth now, perhaps she should adopt the name of a sharptooth. Despite her hopes, however, she still realized that a huge chasm existed between her old life and her new one. She was unsure if she would ever be able to bridge the two.

With all of the gang now called upon by their old name, Chomper decided to proceed with the ritual. _Now let's see... How did my daddy do this?_ Giving his best effort, he tried to repeat the words that his father had spoken several seasons ago.

"You were all children with children's names, but today you have put away your childish things..." He began with an imperious voice that surprised the others. Chomper may have been repeating what he had learned long ago, but he sounded like a sharptooth that was years older and wiser. Ruby reflected that perhaps this ritual was more instinct than learned. However, before she had too much time to ponder, Chomper continued.

"Today you have killed. You have taken the life of another to maintain your own. Today you have become true sharpteeth."

Chomper then took on a softer expression. The ritualistic part of the initiation had been completed, now it was time for the naming part. Thankfully, this was a bit more informal. At least it was in his case...

"Okay, guys. Now we have to choose your names." Chomper seemed to ponder for a moment, before walking up to Littlefoot.

Littlefoot had an unsure expression on his face. Chomper was immediately reminded of how he found Littlefoot the night before. He had been trying to talk to his long-dead mother in an attempt to find some guidance in what to do. He was also the de facto leader of the group, only relinquishing control when it was obvious that they needed an experienced hunter to lead the first hunt. He was the embodiment of the unsure leader. He knew exactly what to name Littlefoot.

"Littlefoot, you are kind of lost without your old self. I will call you 'Seeker'. As you are seeking what it means to be a good sharptooth."

Littlefoot seemed to ponder this for a moment, before nodding. Obviously he could not disagree with the logic of Chomper's choice. He was undoubtedly seeking the answers, just like he had done as a leaf-eater, but now with renewed vigor. At least he still had his friends to help him. With them he knew that he would eventually find the answers to his questions.

Chomper then walked up to Cera. She couldn't resist the chance to get a word in.

"This silly ritual changes nothing. We are sharpteeth either way." Cera observed.

Chomper smiled. "You shall be called 'Stern Claw'. You are cold in your outlook, but you are not wrong."

Cera seemed to digest this information, but she raised no objections. She was always the pragmatic one who raised unwanted truths despite popular resistance. She nodded. _Yes, the name does fit me, doesn't it?_ She reflected.

Chomper then walked up to Ducky. He decided to ask her a question before he named her.

"What do you think about your change, Ducky?"

Ducky looked upon Chomper with a sad expression and seemed to think for a bit before answering. "I don't know. Oh, no, no, no! I don't want to hurt, I only want to help."

Chomper pondered for a moment before making his choice. "You shall be called 'Haven'. You would rather be a refuge for others, rather than their killer."

Ducky had no objections to her name, as it matched her perfectly. She gave a slight nod and stepped back from the circle.

He then walked up to Petrie. Petrie looked up to him with an unreadable expression. It was obvious that the flyer was uncomfortable on the ground, as the desire for great heights that was found in all sharpteeth was magnified in his case. Thinking about his attributes as a flyer, Chomper wasted no time to pick his name.

"You shall be 'Spotter', as you are good at spotting things from the air."

Petrie gave a nod, just as the others had done and joined Ducky outside of the circle.

Chomper then walked up to Spike. Spike's eyes seemed to stare into Chomper's very soul. It was obvious from his work as a scout during their hunt on that day, that Spike was extremely observant. He was already observant as a leaf-eater, despite his much weaker senses of smell and hearing, but this trait of his was magnified with the transformation. He also could see emotional turmoil in others, such as Ducky, before any of the others took notice. He knew exactly what to call him.

"You shall be 'Finder', as you are a good scout. You see what others do not."

At Spike's nod, Chomper went up to the last person left in the circle. Ruby had been waiting silently with a contemplative expression on her face. She was obviously observing and thinking about this ritual with the same introspection that she confronted with everything else. Chomper admitted to himself that Ruby was an excellent choice as his caregiver. Her calm, reflective nature was a perfect foil for his excitable, proactive personality.

"You look like you are thinking." Chomper noted.

Ruby responded after a moment. "I don't know what to think anymore."

Chomper nodded. "You shall be called 'Ponder', as you are trying to find your thoughts once more."

As Ruby nodded her acceptance of her name, the ritual drew to a close.

Chomper looked at everyone for a moment. They all had an appearance of uncertainty intermixed with acceptance, a rather interesting combination. They were obviously still adapting to their changed lot in life. He hoped that their new names helped them to put the past behind them. It was rather clear to the young sharptooth that they were never changing back. The sooner that the others accepted this, the better off they would be. He wished it wasn't so, but with only one exception in his life, wishing didn't change anything.

"Well, that's it! You all have your sharptooth names."

Littlefoot looked up at the purple sharptooth and decided to tease him now that he knew Chomper's real name.

"Alright **Path**, I suppose what I truly **seek** now is sleep."

The others laughed at this, whereas Chomper looked taken aback for a moment. But, after seeing the mirth from the other members of the gang, he too joined in the laughter. They had acquired new bodies, new instincts, and new names, but yet they were all still here. Where it truly mattered, his friends had not changed.

It was that final thought that followed Chomper into his dreams that night. Tomorrow, they would have to continue their journey to Hanging Rock and deal with whatever unknowns that came their way. But, for this night at least, they were all at peace. They could not know what the morrow would bring, but they all knew that they would face it together.

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**Author's note:**

**Just to let everyone know, I will continue to use the gang's original names as the story goes on in order to avoid confusion. Just keep in mind that they will actually be using their new sharptooth names when interacting with other sharpteeth.**

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**Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I am pleased to see that my ratings change hasn't deterred many of my readers.**

**Littlefootxcera**: Thanks for the review. I will be working on this story for quite a while (I hope to be done with it by the end of the year) but I wouldn't mind hearing about your idea after this story is finally finished.**  
**

******RichardTerminator:** Good questions. Obviously, the death of Rhett is something that he didn't deserve, but sometimes nature is cruel. As for how Ali will take the news that Littlefoot is involved, well... We will have to see later on if she finds out the truth or not. I imagine it will be very difficult for a leaf eater, like Ali, to comprehend the decisions that being a sharptooth requires.

**gordhanx:** Thanks for the kind words. As for Ali... Well, she escaped this time. We will have to wait and see if her herd and the gang's paths intersect in the future. If it does then hopefully the gang isn't hungry, or Ali has learned to be more cautious.

**Vanilla Butter**** 88:** He didn't know at first, but when he finally got a look at Rhett (after the killing strike was made) his look of horror indicates that he found out only after it was too late.

**I would like to thank you all for the continued interest and reviews. I should have the next chapter posted sometime this week.**


	17. Chapter 16

**Here is the next installment. The next chapter should be posted sometime this week.**

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**Chapter 16 A danger diverted**

**_"It is dangerous to exist in the world. To exist is to be threatened. We must live with threats." ― Adam Levin, The Instructions_**

Spike awoke early the next morning. This would have been an extraordinary occurrence back when he was a stegosaurus, as he would often sleep until midmorning during his Great Valley days, but he found that it was becoming a more regular phenomenon now that he was a sharptooth. Since his transformation he had only slept in during the previous day, back when he was ravaged by hunger and sought the refuge of sleep. With the events of the previous night, however, that was no longer a problem.

Upon opening his eyes he noticed that the sun was just beginning its ascent at the horizon and that much of the land was still under the cloak of darkness. Notwithstanding their late night hunt, he had woken up at the break of dawn.

_Urgh!_ The former spiketail thought to himself. _Why can't I sleep like I did before?_

Knowing that yearning for the past would get him nowhere, he decided to get up and face the new day. He groggily blinked his eyes a few times before finally placing weight upon his hind limbs and rising to his full height.

"Looks like I am the only one up." The fast biter muttered quietly, not wanting to wake the others. He was almost envious of them at this point. He had gone from the easy-going member of the group to a whirling ball of energy since the transformation. Although he knew it was simply a trait of his new kind, one which he shared with the others, it still irked him that his mind wouldn't rest during his waking hours. He supposed that it was something that he would simply have to get used to.

Taking a deep stretch, Spike yawned before taking a look upon their handiwork from the night before.

Rhett's body, or what remained of it, resided some distance away from the sleeping gang. In their ravenous hunger, they had nearly stripped his body of its flesh. Only portions of the abdomen and upper torso still retained remnants of meat, whereas the remainder was nearly bare except for blood-stained bones. It would have been a terrifying sight to any leaf-eater, but it did not immediately evoke any emotions in the green fast biter. Absentmindedly, he lamented how little food remained and debated how much to leave for the others. That was when the implications of his thoughts became apparent to him.

_What are you doing, Spike?_ He asked himself rhetorically. _This was your friend! _

Upon reflecting upon their situation for a while, he decided that he would eat a small portion of what remained. _Ducky and the others will probably need to eat more than I do. _He affirmed to himself. He had eaten far more than the others had the night before.

Walking slowly to his destination, he observed the corpse for a few moments. Just hours before this had been a living dinosaur, capable of thought, love, and everything else that entailed. He had been their friend, albeit a distant one, and they had all done their part to end his life. Despite the necessity of what they had done, Spike was still feeling remorse for his part in the hunt. Would it be like this every time that they killed? As it was, he felt conflicting drives to apologize to the longneck skeleton in front of him and also to devour what remained. It was an unsettling combination of motivations.

"It's sad, isn't it?"

Spike turned around suddenly to see Ruby behind him. He was surprised to see that she had awakened without his knowledge. The fact that she could do that spoke volumes about her stealthiness.

Spike simply nodded. What more was there to say? Ruby continued to speak, however.

"I had to steal an egg once when I was younger." Ruby admitted, as if she was confiding a dark secret. Spike looked upon her with a surprised expression, but tilted his head as if to beckon her to continue. Ruby noted his willingness to listen and continued her story.

"We couldn't find any food at our old home. My mommy and daddy would feed me with whatever they could catch, but would go hungry. They were very hungry because they would feed me their catch." She continued. "I got tired of seeing them hungry... And I was getting hungry too."

Ruby then had a faraway look in her eyes, as if seeing a memory that upset her dearly.

"I was tired of the hunger, so I went looking for food. I was too young, but I went anyway." She affirmed. Fast runners were not usually expected to fish or catch snapping shells on their own until about their fifth star day, but she disobeyed out of concern for her parents. "A threehorn was away from the nest... and I took her egg." She then shook her head at the memory. "She almost got me! But my daddy distracted her and I got away!" She looked down in sadness. "He hurt his leg running away. But if he wouldn't have run away then he would have been hurt worse."

Spike was quite moved by her story, but didn't know what to say. If any of the adults had known about her exploits then she would certainly have been banished from the Great Valley. But more so than that observation, several other questions opened up in the fast biter's mind. How hard of a life had Ruby lived while in the Mysterious Beyond? How many horrific stories had she been forced to keep to herself? He truly felt for her at this point. He could see some of his guilt and confusion being represented in her story.

"You did the right thing."

Spike had spoken without even thinking about it. In the instant he said it, however, he realized that he was indeed correct. When faced with a survival situation, anything goes. He certainly could not blame her for doing whatever she thought would save her family. Sometimes horrific problems required horrific solutions.

Ruby smiled a sad, knowing smile and nodded at Spike. She then said what was truly on her mind. "So did you. We all did the right thing last night."

Spike nodded, but then took a look at the corpse in front of him. Even if they understood the necessity of their actions that did not mean that other dinosaurs would. How could you explain the necessity of the kill to a leaf-eater who was potential prey? How do you explain it to a mother who has just lost a child? You couldn't and Spike knew it. He fully realized that he would not have been able to understand such a thing until he became a sharptooth himself. As it was, he knew that he would have a difficult time getting Ducky accustomed to these changes. Their transformation cut to the very core of her personality. She felt lost in this new reality. Spike resolved to be there for her, but he had no idea if that would be enough.

"Yeah." He affirmed. "But... I don't think Ducky sees it that way."

Ruby walked up to Spike's side and placed her forelimb on his back. With a flourish she then moved her other forelimb in a grand gesture. "Then we will need to remind her until she understands."

The two looked at the broken body of Rhett for a few moments before they heard the sounds of moving feet.

"You... Never told us about the egg before, Ruby." It was Littlefoot. He had heard the entire conversation.

Ruby was surprised and took a few moments to respond.

"No one would have understood, Littlefoot. I didn't understand until I was hungry. Unless one has been hungry then they cannot understand."

Littlefoot nodded. "I know, I know. I guess... I still don't understand it fully." He admitted. "We have to kill now. It's so horrible, but it feels so..."

"Right?" Spike finished for him.

"Yeah..." Littlefoot affirmed.

The three dinosaurs talked and kept one another company for a few moments as the sun rose and the other members of the gang awoke from their slumber. With their minds full of new knowledge about their rose-colored companion, and their bellies full of longneck, they then resumed their journey to Hanging Rock.

There was one problem, however.

They had to find their way back to the river first!

...

In a nearby field, two large fast biters were roaming through the underbrush, looking for their next meal. They had caught the scent of the gang several hours before, but had since lost the trail. Notwithstanding their efforts, they made no attempt at stealth as it would be useless to try to hide in this terrain. Even if they were making the attempt, however, the banter between the two would have warned off any prey.

"Two days and no food! At least we had food when we were with Red Claw."

The complaint was leveled by a large green fast biter. He had dark green stripes on his back and a pale underbelly. Despite his fierce appearance, he almost had a discontented manner about him. This was obviously due to his unresolved hunger.

"Oh, quit your belly aching, Thud!"

The retort was given by Screech, a grayish-blue fast biter with dark grey stripes on his back. He was obviously annoyed with both the situation and his brother's antics. However, there was something else on his mind as well...

"I will quit my belly aching when my belly stops aching." Thud muttered sarcastically.

Screech decided to respond to Thud's complaint with a pointed reminder. "Just in case you don't remember, it was **your** idea to leave Red Claw. We could still be having food courtesy of the nut job if we didn't bail on him."

Thus couldn't argue with this logic, but rather again reiterated his point. "**You** agreed with me. Remember? He is mad. His plans will get us all killed!"

"True." Screech replied. "But if we don't find food soon, we will be as good as dead anyway. So quit your complaining and help me find some leaf-eaters, won't you?"

The two remained silent for some time, with each of them being involved in the fruitless search for meat. Their willful eviction from Red Claw's territory meant that they were now searching for new hunting grounds. Hunting grounds that were well away from Red Claw. Both of them knew that Red Claw would stop at nothing to eliminate his wayward henchmen. He was nothing if not vindictive. That was why they had departed in the night and traveled for as long as possible. They had escaped Red Claw's reach for the moment, but now the critical matter of food was becoming a pressing matter.

"We could have eaten Chomper and his insufferable friends if it wasn't for your slowness." Screech continued. He then looked at Thud with an exasperated expression. "Was that intentional?" Thud didn't reply, so Screech continued. "I don't understand your reluctance to kill the wannabe leaf-eater. Why do you want to protect Chomper?"

This was a discussion that they had several times in the previous two days, but each time Thud couldn't get his brother to understand. Thud felt that he owed it to the little biter, whereas Screech disagreed with Thud's sentiments.

"As I told you, when I was trapped under boulders after that earthshake, he helped get them off of me. I could have eaten him if I wanted and he knew that, but yet he helped me anyway." It had happened several seasons ago when the gang had gotten trapped outside of the Great Valley. Thud, Screech, and Red Claw had all given chase to the seven friends only to be disrupted by the earthshake. Although Thud had never told anyone, after he had escaped from the fallen rocks he kept knowledge about where the children were hiding to himself. With that one action he had quite possibly saved their lives, but nonetheless he still felt that he owed the little biter something.

"Yes, and you already paid your honor debt." Screech was quickly tiring of this conversation. He almost wished that Thud would complain about the lack of food again. It was less tiresome than the nonsense he was currently talking about.

"I refuse to hunt him."

Screech stopped in his tracks at Thud's show of defiance. Screech had always been the dominant one, the pack leader, until Red Claw showed up on the scene. To have Thud show such defiance was a risky move. He would not tolerate a move on his leadership, not even from his brother. He would need to clarify his intentions.

"Are you challenging me?" The question was not worded harshly, but it didn't need to be. Its mere utterance indicated its severity.

After a pause, Thud decided to respond carefully.

"...no."

Screech relaxed slightly at that affirmation. Internally, however, he was greatly relieved. He had no desire to fight his brother. They had gone through so much together. He would hate to risk injuring him or worse...

"But please don't force me to do this!" Thud pleaded. This was most unlike him. Thud was just as ruthless and brash as Screech was, so this sudden break in his demeanor did not escape unnoticed. Thud was not acting like himself, and Screech thought he knew why.

"Chomper reminds you of your son, doesn't he?"

At Thud's sudden pained expression, Screech knew that he was right in his suspicions. Thud's son, despite being an Utahraptor, was as innocent and naive as Chomper was. Or at least he was. He had only taken on a sterner exterior after... that incident.

"You will need to seek him out one day, brother." Screech shook his head. "Surely he would forgive you. After all, you are his father."

Thud shook his head sadly. "No. He would never forgive me for attacking his pack. He thinks of them as his family now." Thud was no longer maintaining eye contact with Screech. His brother had never seen Thud so upset. "If I wouldn't have joined with Red Claw, if I would have disobeyed his order..." Screech wouldn't let him finish.

"I joined Red Claw just the same as you, because we needed food. And you know full well that Red Claw would have killed us both if we resisted his orders in the canyon." Screech continued. "Brother, we didn't have a choice."

Thud didn't respond, but instead looked up at the sky. His mind was obviously in a very dark place as he revisited sad memories. He had lost a son. Not because of his son's death or disappearance, but because of Thud's own stupid decisions. If he would have only swallowed his pride and not requested to join with the cruelest, most-powerful sharptooth in the Mysterious Beyond, then he would still have what was left of his family. But his beloved mate had died when he wasn't strong enough to deter a rampaging herd of domeheads. From that day on, he vowed that he would never be weak again and that he would join with a pack that would make him among the strongest. But in the process he had lost himself and everything that he truly loved. Only now was he beginning to understand the magnitude of his mistake.

Screech looked at him sadly. They couldn't afford to not eat a dinosaur because of his brother's sentiments, never mind how heartfelt or understandable they were. However, there was something that he could do...

"We can spare Chomper if we encounter him again."

Thud's expression picked up noticeably on this news.

"However... his companions will not be so lucky." Screech continued. "They insulted us, brother! I do not take kindly to that! We will spare Chomper, but not his fast biter friends."

Realizing that his brother's offer was not actually an offer, but rather an order, Thud nodded his approval at Screech's suggestion. He could pay his debt to Chomper once more and, for one day at least, put aside some of the guilt he felt at his failings as a father.

"Good. Now let's find those runts! I am starving!"

...

"Are you sure we are going the right way?" Ducky asked the rose-colored fast biter.

Ruby sighed. The gang had gone way off track with their excursion to hunt the longnecks. However, they should still be relatively close to Hanging Rock. If only she could find the river again...

"I am sure that we will find the river if we go this way." Ruby replied. "Then we simply follow the river until we get to Hanging Rock."

"Yeah, unless the river dried up then we should run into it." That statement was from Cera. Ruby was slightly surprised by her magnanimous response. It seemed that having some meat in her stomach had greatly improved her mood. It was another reminder of how much each of them had changed.

The gang continued to follow Ruby as they went through the open field that they found themselves in. The grass was actually quite tall here, which was a marked change from their travels some days ago. If they encountered smaller sharpteeth in their current position then they would have some difficulty in seeing them, but larger predators like Screech and Thud would have no hope of sneaking up on them. Nonetheless, they began to quicken their pace.

"Guys! Look!" Petrie suddenly called as he descended from the skies high above. "Water ahead!"

The gang began to run in the direction that Petrie indicated. If they had found water then that might mean that the river could be close by. Petrie's scouting had given them advanced notice of their surroundings once again. As they ran through the tall grass, they suddenly encountered a clearing in the foliage. The sight that greeted them surprised them all.

A large lake filled the scene in front of them with a glorious swath of azure blue. They had not smelled the moisture on account of the wind blowing steadily in the other direction, but now they could all smell it clearly. It was a glorious sight, as they had not tasted clean water in some days.

"Water!" Ducky called out in excitement. She then began to run towards the shore, obviously eager to take a drink. After a brief pause, the others joined her in the sprint to the lake.

In their excitement over the water they stopped observing the terrain around them.

...

"Well... Well... Take a look at that!" Screech whispered to his companion.

Chomper and his pack of insufferable fast biters were splashing and playing in the massive lake in front of them. It was a serene sign of innocence. However, preserving that innocence would not fill their bellies. Now that they were distracted, it was the best time to strike! Screech quickly determined a course of action before gesturing to Thud.

"I think that it is time for the belly dragger gambit." He replied. As skilled hunters they had memorized many of the more common hunting techniques and tricks. This would not be a haphazard affair like the previous hunt, nor a blunt force chasing strategy like they used when helping out Red Claw. No, this would be more strategic undertaking. The gang wouldn't stand a chance.

The fast biters began to quickly rush through the grass. They hoped to catch their prey unaware.

...

The pack had drunk their fill on the clean, clear water and had begun to play in the water. This surprise respite was a throwback of sorts to their old lives. For the first time since their transformation they had a chance to play games. This was a small slice of innocence that many of them thought that they had lost during the previous night's hunt. Normally, during their leaf-eater days, Swimmer and Splasher would be the logical game for a water setting. But now the gang had settled on a new game.

"Gotcha!" Cera yelled as she surfaced from the watery depths and tagged Ruby.

"Alright, I am the swimming sharptooth now! Roar!" Ruby exclaimed playfully. The other began to swim away in varying directions, with some sinking in the water temporarily in order to avoid Ruby's "attacks". Even though they had changed so much, they were still the same playful kids they were before. But, of course, as sharptooth kids their games took on a different connotation...

Just as play trained leaf-eaters to flee from danger, play trained sharpteeth to be the danger.

Ruby looked around her and noticed a green silhouette appear in the water under her. Ducky was trying to escape from her by swimming completely under her. _Impressive._ Ruby thought. _But, not impressive enough!_

With a grin on her muzzle, she dived as well.

Ducky then surfaced.

"Where did she go?" Ducky muttered to herself suddenly.

"I don't see her! Nope, nope, nope." Ducky replied to her own question. It was her idea to swim under the former fast biter as she assumed it was a move that she wouldn't expect. She was quite surprised at the gang's improvement in the water. It seemed that fast biters had a bit of the swimming instinct in them. They were moving around far more naturally than they did as leaf-eaters.

**Chomp!**

"Ahhh!" Ducky screamed in surprise as she felt a light bite on her tail.

As Ruby surfaced, she laughed heartedly. "That was a good try, Ducky! But not good enough. If it was good enough then I wouldn't have got you!"

Ducky now laughed as well. "I thought it was worth a try. I did, I did!"

The others began to congregate around the duo as a lull developed in the game.

"Well that was fun!" Littlefoot replied. "But where is the river? We need to get going soon."

The others gave fatigued and unhappy sighs, but each knew that their leader was right. They needed to get to Hanging Rock before the hunger madness struck again.

Ruby smiled. "I know this lake. My mommy and I would often get fish here when daddy was off getting plants." She then began to smile a bit wider. "That means that we are close to the river and only a few days from Hanging Rock!"

"All right!" Littlefoot exclaimed in excitement, as the others joined in. They were back on track after their day-long detour to the longneck herd. Things were beginning to look up for the newly-formed pack.

"Well, then let's dry off and get going!" Cera grunted, but not out of exasperation, there was a good-natured bravado to her demeanor.

"Yeah. Let's find that river again!" Chomper exclaimed.

Suddenly a gruff voice came from the bushes.

"Oh, I don't think any of you will be finding the river..."

As the pack looked on in horror, Screech and Thud arose from the tall grass. They had been too distracted by their own play that they overlooked the possibility of attack. This was a very bad mistake. A potentially fatal mistake.

"Well, we will just swim away." Littlefoot threatened in the hopes that the two predators would decide to go after other prey. Surely, they were not known for their swimming prowess.

"Only one of you can swim well, as we saw in your game." Screech taunted. This filled Littlefoot with much dread. How long had they been out there watching, listening, and plotting? It was creepy beyond all measure.

"Which means that the rest of you are on the menu!" Thud finished, as he began to rush into the water. Screech then proceeded to enter the water from some distance to his left. They were being ambushed!

"Guys! Listen to me!" It was Ducky. "I have an idea. Just swim away from me and then go for the shore."

Littlefoot was taken aback by Ducky's sudden bravado. What was she doing? They wouldn't let her face this alone. It was suicide! That was when Littlefoot had a horrifying thought. What if the former swimmer was trying to take a way out of her sharptooth existence? He wouldn't allow that to happen.

But before he could intercede, Spike began to speak.

"Ducky... Don't risk..." But he never got the chance to finish.

"I know what I am doing! I do, I do!" The green fast biter affirmed. "Go!"

At the former swimmer's uncharacteristic admonishment, the others began to do as she said. They began to head to Ducky's right, while keeping relatively close to the shore. Ducky, meanwhile, was heading into deeper water.

Ruby was frantic in her swimming efforts as she didn't want to meet her end at the claws of Red Claw's two henchmen. She wasn't sure what Ducky had planned but she hoped that it worked. They were out of options at this point.

"Ah!"

Ruby turned to see the others right behind her in a line as they swam away from their original location. Thud seemed to be pursuing Ducky, who still had some distance on the larger fast biter, whereas Screech was rapidly approaching Spike. _Oh no!_ Ruby thought morosely. _He was always the worst swimmer..._ Now it seemed that he would meet his end in this lake from her childhood. It was an outcome she wouldn't have wished on anyone, especially not her dearest friends.

"Ah! Help!"

The others, the two predators included, looked in the direction of the deep water. Taking advantage of this momentary distraction, Spike gained some distance between himself and his pursuer. But where did the scream come from?

"Help me... Glug! Glug!"

It was Ducky! She appeared to be in some distress in the water.

"Ducky!" Spike screamed from his location, ignoring the fast biter that had been pursuing him moments before. His sister was having trouble in the water and there was nothing that he could do. He could not swim as readily as the others and he knew that he would be unable to dive for Ducky even if he could reach her in time. With a mournful heart, Spike realized that he was probably witnessing his sister's last moments. He was beyond despair.

Now seeing a more promising victim, Screech and Thud both ignored the others and advanced on Ducky. They would eat well tonight.

"Spike!" Littlefoot called to the fast biter. "Spike!" But still he did not respond.

**Smack!**

"Spike!" Littlefoot had slapped the green fast biter in order to get his attention. "Spike, we have to go now!"

"But Ducky!" He called out in despair.

"We have to go, Spike! Swim away and let me try something!"

At Littlefoot's reassurance, Spike swam in the direction of the others. The rest of the pack was now heading towards the shore in order to begin running from the lake. If they could run away on land then the water-bound fast biters would have no chance in catching the pack. If only Ducky could join them...

"Hey you feckless coward! How about you hunt something more your size!" Littlefoot roared out. He had rattled them with insults before. He hoped that he could do so again. He was still at a loss of how to help Ducky after he got their attention, however. He would cross that path when he got to it.

Screech made an annoyed grunt, but looked at the brown fast biter with an amused sneer.

"You won't distract us that easily, you pathetic weakling!" He then began to resume his swim towards Ducky while calling out insults at Littlefoot. "How do you like this? Your friend is out here all alone and will soon die at our claws... How does it feel to know that it is all because of your stupidity?"

"You heartless monster!" Littlefoot raged.

"Oh, I am heartless am I? What pitiful sentiment. We all have to eat and you are simply here." Screech continued his exposition, dripping each word with scorn and sarcasm. "I don't appreciate being insulted by worthless ankle-biters as you. Perhaps seeing the fruits of your pathetic leadership will teach you some humility? Either way, now that I will enjoy feasting upon your hapless friend!"

Littlefoot roared his rage at the two fast biters, but he knew that there was nothing that he could do. He would be unable to reach them in time and even if he could somehow perform that feat, he wouldn't be able to drag Ducky out of the water and still survive. With tears rolling down his face and a pain deep in his heart, he did what he once resolved never to do.

He turned and began to swim away.

He still had five other members of the pack to care for and he knew that Ducky would have wanted him to protect them. But he resolved never to forgive himself for his failure. He vowed that he would remember this day for as long as he lived.

...

As she saw Littlefoot shout insults and then flee, Ducky felt a bit guilty about her actions. She did not want to cause the others pain, but she had to make this look believable in order to dupe the two predators. She would be unable to do that if she showed them that her distress was all an act.

"Well... Well..." Screech muttered to the former swimmer. "Looks like this is the end of you."

Ducky continued to feign difficulty. Sinking below the water, while flailing about wildly. She noticed that Screech and Thud were approaching quite closely. But they were not yet close enough.

What Ducky then saw as she briefly surfaced again surprised her. Screech actually looked at her with a softer expression. It was a look that she had never seen before.

"I am sorry dear. I will make this quick."

_It seems that he does have a heart. _ Ducky thought to herself. _I knew he had a good side to him. But I can't drop the act._

As she continued to flail and struggle, she gasped out a reply.

"You... gasp... don't have to do this!"

Thud then answered as he approached to her left.

"Yes... Yes... We do." Thud then began. He had a grim expression on his face, she noted. These two were not as hard as they looked and acted. However, that wouldn't save her unless she acted soon.

With a final, deep breath she closed her eyes.

And sank into the depths.

...

"Grab her!" Screech yelled.

As the two fast biters struggled to grasp the sinking fast biter, they lamented their bad luck. She only had to stay afloat a few more moments and they could have dragged her back to land. Now she was falling into the depths of the lake. Their efforts appeared to have all been for naught.

As the two fast biters roared in anger at their predicament, they did not see the flurry of motion take place some distance away.

...

**Gasp!**

Ducky surfaced from the depths. As she regained her breath, she took a look from where she had escaped.

The two fast biters were still struggling to find the former swimmer. They had lost sight of her as she sank into the lake and had not realized that she was swimming underneath them. She had made a clean getaway.

Not wanting to botch her chance, she speedily swam towards the shore. She had to catch up with the others. They must be so worried.

...

"I can't believe she's gone!" Cera cried as she was still trying to digest the news.

Petrie was unable to speak as he was bound up in his grief. Cera uncharacteristically allowed him to hug her leg as he cried for his lost friend. Ducky was his closest friend in the world and now she was gone. In his anguished mind, he hoped that she didn't suffer. That was not how he wanted her to experience her final moments.

Chomper and Ruby were both embracing in their grief. They had just been playing with the green fast biter moments before and now she was gone. Ruby reflected that she now must have known what their victims must feel after losing a family member. Here one moment, gone the next. The fragility of life was on display for all of them to see.

Chomper meanwhile blamed himself for their recent disaster. He was the only born and raised sharptooth. As such, he should have known better than to not have one dinosaur be on watch. He should have warned them. He should have done more.

Spike, however, was having the worst time of it. It seemed that Littlefoot's gambit had failed. If only Littlefoot had not intervened... Spike could have sacrificed himself. He could have let Screech take him and Ducky would still live. However, despite his thoughts about self-sacrifice, he knew that such thoughts were folly. Ducky had been struggling in the water and his sacrifice would have done nothing to save her. She had sacrificed herself in order to save the others. He resolved that he would never be able to wrap his bind around her actions. _Why, Ducky?_ He thought through his tears. _There had to be another way..._

"Goodbye, Ducky."

Littlefoot looked at Spike with a mournful expression, before closing his eyes in shame. He knew that they were all here mourning because of his failure. It was his poor decisions that led them to play without having someone on watch. It was his arrogance that made him insult his adversaries several days ago. All of this was his fault. He would never forgive himself for as long as he lived.

"Spike!"

_I must really be losing it. _Littlefoot thought to himself. _I can almost hear her voice._

"Ducky?!" Several voices cried out, as Littlefoot opened his eyes.

There before him was the green fast biter. Safe and sound.

The entire pack nearly smothered the poor fast biter in their attempt to embrace her. The former swimmer had appeared to come back from the dead. How could this be?

"Ducky! How?" Littlefoot sputtered.

Ducky laughed at their response. But then, upon seeing Spike's tear drenched face, she stopped to place a calming paw on his back.

"I am sorry to make you all sad. I am, I am!" She replied. "But I had to trick them."

"But how did you do that?" Chomper asked in genuine curiosity. She must have had a stroke of genius in order to outsmart those two fast biters. The pack had been in an unwinnable scenario. How did she pull victory from the jaws of defeat?

Ducky smiled as she began her explanation. "I knew that I could outsmart them if I was in the water. I acting like I had trouble and sank when they tried to get me." She explained to the impressed group. "I swam back to shore after I got away from them, and now I am here! Yep, yep, yep!"

"That is amazing, Ducky!" Chomper remarked, overtly showing sentiments that all of the others shared. "You are really beginning to think like a sharptooth now!"

Chomper had intended it as a compliment, but it still hit Ducky with mixed emotions. Her brilliant strategy had saved the rest of the pack, but it also represented her transition into the more strategic mind of a sharptooth. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

Sensing Chomper's miscalculation, Littlefoot decided to intervene in the conversation.

"You did a great job, Ducky! You helped save us!" He affirmed. "But, never scare us like that again. We all thought that you had..." He couldn't finish the sentence. "And it would have been all my fault!"

The others were surprised at Littlefoot's show of regret.

"Your fault?" Ruby inquired.

"I should have had someone keep watch. I should have known better." Littlefoot replied as he shook his head in regret.

Ducky walked over to Littlefoot and placed a paw on his shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault, Littlefoot. We all should have known better." She began. "We all need to learn from our mistake. We do, we do!" The two then shared an embrace, to which the remainder of the pack also joined in. After some time, the pack broke their embrace and Chomper suddenly had a thought.

"Speaking of learning from mistakes, we should get moving!" He exclaimed. "Screech and Thud will be after us soon!"

Littlefoot nodded at his affirmation. They indeed needed to redouble their efforts.

"Chomper's right. We need to get going." Littlefoot began. He then took a look at the pack, his pack, now complete once more with all of its members. He would do everything possible to ensure their safety and well-being. "Let's head to the river and follow it to Hanging Rock."

The pack then quickly picked up their pace as they advanced away from the lake. They were well away from the lake by the time the two predators again found their scent.

Much like in their previous encounter, the pack had won this round.

* * *

**Thanks for the reviews, everyone!  
**

**Littlefootxcera**, ******RichardTerminator** and **gordhanx:** I am glad to hear that you enjoy my depiction of sharptooth culture. The interactions within sharptooth society and the cultural trends that develop from that will be a major focus of the second Act of the story (chapters 18-37ish) as the pack begins to settle into their new forms.

**NorthAmericanJaguar:** It is nice to see that you are reading the story again. Thank you for the kind words.


	18. Chapter 17

**After over 100,000 words and 17 chapters, here is the final chapter of the first Act of the story. The Second Act of the story will begin with the next chapter, which I hope to have posted sometime later on this week. **

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 17 The seven hunters**

"_**His old life lay behind in the mists, dark adventure lay in front." ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings**_

After their excitement from earlier in the day, the remainder of the pack's journey to the river was rather uneventful. After running towards and eventually finding the river, they had continued their journey until nightfall. Taking great care to use the water in the river in order to hide their scent trail, they then took refuge in some shallow depressions in the floodplain. For the first time in many days, each member of the gang had a peaceful and restful sleep.

The next morning the pack awoke to a bright new day. However, a familiar problem soon presented itself once more.

**Growl...**

"My belly is talking! It is, it is!" Ducky affirmed.

Littlefoot sighed at this. He was beginning to feel the effects of hunger as well, although they were nearly not as pronounced as they were during the hunger madness.

"I guess that that means that we need to hunt again." He affirmed in a stoic manner. He did not like the possibility any more than the others, but they had to do whatever it took to prevent their hunger from turning critical.

Cera sighed as well at Littlefoot's affirmation. "Yeah..." She reluctantly agreed with the budding consensus in the group.

Ducky looked morose at this news. She was still feeling guilt-ridden over their hunt two days ago. In fact, they all were in their own way. Would she now have to kill yet again? Was there no end to the cycle of killing?

Spike picked up on her disquiet and decided to speak. "Are there even any dinosaurs around here? I mean, we haven't seen or smelled anyone else since when encountered Screech and Thud."

Chomper nodded. "That is true. We haven't seen anybody!"

Ruby decided to interject into the conversation. "Perhaps we don't have to hunt anyone today? Maybe we can hunt something else?"

Littlefoot looked perplexed at the other fast biter's suggestion. "What do you mean, Ruby?"

Ruby then gestured with her forelimbs. "Look around us, guys!" She then spun in a circle for effect. "There is grass everywhere! Everywhere there is grass! Where there is grass there is food for ground fuzzies, and where there are ground fuzzies..."

"There is food!" Littlefoot finished for her. Yes, that would be a fine idea. They could hunt for ground fuzzies in the grassy river basin that they now found themselves. They might even be able to find enough to hold off their hunger until after they found Ruby's parents. It was certainly their best option at this point.

"Alright, guys! Let's go find some ground fuzzies!" Littlefoot affirmed to the others.

Their second hunt for ground fuzzies had begun.

...

"Alright guys, remember how we did this last time?"

After finding a suitable patch of ground, Littlefoot decided to make sure that the pack was ready for the upcoming hunt. They had only hunted ground fuzzies once before, and even then with only limited success. He had to make sure that everyone knew their role.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's get this started already!" Cera called out in her impatience. She was more than ready to get this hunt started. The appeal of getting meat without all of the guilt that came with hunting another dinosaur appealed to her greatly. It also helped that she now had a taste for meat... She intentionally decided not to focus on that fact, however.

"Me ready!" Petrie called. _Although me not sure what good I do!_ Petrie thought to himself. His wings were ineffective at catching ground fuzzies as far as he could tell. If a ground fuzzy ran out of a hole that he was guarding then he would have to catch it in his sharp beak. He was not skilled in catching things with his beak, which obviously wasn't a skill that he would have learned as a leaf-eater, so he hoped that the others had great success. If it was up to him then he believed that they would surely starve.

"I am ready! Yep, yep, yep!" Ducky called from some distance away. She still found what they were doing to be distasteful, but not as distasteful as actually killing another dinosaur. Her days as a sharptooth had taught her to be selective in her battles and there was no use in fighting her hunger. It would be futile for her to fight a battle that she couldn't win.

Spike grunted his readiness. He was glad to see that Ducky was accepting the necessity of hunting, even if it was only for small prey. He realized that they all would probably have to adapt to hunting other dinosaurs on a regular basis if they couldn't find a way to change back, but he hoped that Ducky would have enough time to adapt to her this reality. She had already been pushed to her breaking point by this cruel change of fate and he didn't want to see her pushed beyond that.

"Okay, good!" Littlefoot affirmed. "Let's find some ground fuzzy holes!"

The pack then scattered in order to find the burrows of the illusive small mammals. In cases where resources were scarce, such as their first hunt, they would form large warrens of interconnected burrows which would open into a few entrances. This allowed many relatives in order to share limited resources and limit their competition to other populations. However, the ground fuzzies were rather versatile creatures and could adapt to changing conditions, and this general pattern did not hold up in more promising environments such as this one.

"Here is one!" Littlefoot heard Ruby yell from quite some distance away.

Littlefoot wasn't having much luck in finding burrows in his current locations. _Perhaps I should move over to where Ruby is? There is nothing over here._ The brown fast biter thought to himself.

"Got one!" Spike yelled from well over in the other direction.

Littlefoot turned his head. Spike was nearly two full-grown longneck lengths away from Littlefoot. _There is no way that is from the same group of ground fuzzies!_ He deduced.

"Here!"

Littlefoot turned his head again to see that Ducky was nearly equidistant from the other two burrows. What was going on here?

"I think that I know what is going on." Chomper exclaimed suddenly.

_Well thank goodness! I sure don't!_ Littlefoot thought to himself.

"What is that, Chomper?" He inquired.

"The ground fuzzies are in different holes!" Chomper began.

"Yeah, tell us something that we don't know." Cera spoke sarcastically.

Chomper gave her a pointed look, but continued. "Sometimes they live like that. It means that there will only be one hole per ground fuzzy." He shrugged for a moment. "I guess that we need to split up."

Littlefoot considered this for a moment. Chomper did have a point, but could they hunt effectively alone? In their previous two hunts, they had hunted as a group. This was not a viable option now, as they would never catch enough food if all seven of them hunted one ground fuzzy at a time. Yes, separate hunts was the best option available right now.

Littlefoot nodded. "Your right, Chomper." He then turned towards the others who had gathered around Littlefoot during this discussion. "We need to split up. Two per group, I guess." He thought for a moment, before continuing. "Yes. Two per group. One two dig and one to catch."

Everyone seemed to agree to this, but suddenly Ruby had an observation.

"But there are seven of us!" It was not just an observation; it was also an implied question. How do you split up seven dinosaurs into groups of two?

Everyone seemed to think for a moment. Oddly, Petrie seemed to have the most contemplative expression of them all.

"Well I guess that we can have one group of three. Unless someone wants to hunt alone?" Littlefoot offered.

"Me will hunt alone."

Everyone turned to the little flyer. No one would have expected Petrie to volunteer to hunt alone. Perhaps Chomper or Ruby, as they had some experience, but not Petrie. Petrie seemed to recognize the incredulity on their faces and explained himself.

"Me want to try something. If it doesn't work, then me go in group."

Littlefoot considered this for a moment, before sighing.

"Um... Alright. Has everyone else picked their groups?"

Nods and affirmative grunts were uttered as Cera and Chomper gathered in one area, with Ducky and Spike in another. _Not surprising._ Littlefoot concluded. _Cera wants to catch the most and she has the best chance if she partners with Chomper. _He suppressed the urge to make a sardonic smile at her antics. In some ways her pride from her threehorn days hadn't lessened at all. It had just changed as she had changed. He halfway expected her to go on a rant about how fast biters are the best and brightest of the dinosaurs. He turned his focus on Ducky and Spike. _Not a surprise there._ That just left Ruby.

"All ready, Ruby?" He asked the fast biter.

"I am ready." She affirmed with a smile.

"All right! Good luck everyone!" Littlefoot remarked at the group. It was up to each group now.

As Petrie flew off and the three groups scattered to various sides of the river bed each was left with an unanswered question.

_Can we make this work?_

...

**Scrape... Scrape...**

_I have found you!_ Ruby thought to herself. It had taken them nearly half an hour to find a ground fuzzy burrow and it took her nearly as long to track down the ground fuzzy itself. Now it was time to get to work.

Ruby rose slowly, being careful not to make a sound as she turned to look in Littlefoot's direction. With a slight grin on her muzzle she raised her clawed forelimb and raised one claw. The meaning was clear to Littlefoot. There was one ground fuzzy and he should get ready. Littlefoot nodded his understanding.

Seeing that her friend had got the message, Ruby went to work. She tore into the ground with terrible ferocity. Even if she failed to catch the fuzzball herself, she could scare it in Littlefoot's direction. _It shouldn't take long now._ She deduced. _The ground is quite soft here._

Almost as soon as she had that thought, the ground gave way under her claws.

**Squeal! Crack!**

The ground fuzzy was silenced by Ruby's powerful jaws almost as soon as it gave the alarm claw. It had waited far too long to attempt an escape and now it was food for the meat eaters. The glorious taste of flesh and blood greeted her mouth after the killing strike, but she was able to retain control. Being careful not to eat more than her fair share, she only consumed the upper half of the small mammal and left the remainder. Even though he did not have to work for this hunt, Littlefoot deserved his share. After all, she might not get so lucky in her next attempt.

With a flourish, she waved at Littlefoot. As he rose and began to jog to her location, she thought about their current situation. The hunt had gone well, but had taken far too long. The pack would still be quite hungry if the only caught ground fuzzies as their current rate. She hoped that the others were having better luck...

...

"Get over here you fuzzball!"

The hunt had started out well enough. Chomper had found the first burrow and Cera did the digging. The first attempt ended in success as Cera caught a ground fuzzy in the act of trying to escape from her digging claws and Chomper caught a ground fuzzy when it attempted to rush out of the burrow. They had their first meal after less than ten minutes of work.

The second attempt was far more problematic, however.

They had decided to switch roles. Cera would take over at watching the burrow entrance for fleeing ground fuzzies, whereas Chomper would do the digging. But before they could even begin the hunt, they had to find a new burrow. After wandering for well over an hour they found a burrow and thought that the second round of dinner would soon start. However, after quite some time they realized that the burrow was long abandoned. Once Chomper figured this out and told Cera she was thrown into a violent rage for several moments. Chomper then began to feel sorry for whatever ground fuzzy they caught next. It was obvious that Cera would not show it any mercy.

_Not that we would show them mercy anyway._ He admitted to himself.

This finally brought them to the third, and current, hunt. After quite some time they finally found another burrow that had fresh seeds and droppings by its entrance. Chomper noted that this was a clear sign of recent habitation. Urged on by this finding, the two hunters then set about pursuing their prey. Shortly thereafter Chomper heard the tell-tale sounds of scraping claws. He had found the ground fuzzies! As the ground broke under his claws, he noticed the sounds of the ground fuzzies trail off towards Cera. It was all up to her now.

"Go get them, Cera!" He enthusiastically yelled.

Cera got into a pouncing position and readied to make the kill

**Squeal! Swipe! Thud!**

Cera had skewered the ground fuzzy on her claws and then slammed the mammal on the ground with tremendous force. The ground fuzzy was dead. Another success!

Taking a moment to admire her victory, she barely noticed when another ground fuzzy peak its head out of the burrow and sprint into the open. _Oh no you don't!_ She thought to herself.

This is what brought us to our current scene.

Cera was madly chasing the ground fuzzy that had escaped her grasp. Even though the hunt was already partially acceptable, she wouldn't let her own actions prevent the pack from having complete victory. Neither her old threehorn mentality, nor her new fast biter instincts, would permit her to fail.

Chomper looked at the scene before him with some amusement. He had seen Cera kill one ground fuzzy and then proceed to chase the other one madly. _I would have simply let it go._ He admitted to himself. _Once they are in the open they are too fast to catch. It is like trying to catch a fast runner._ He immediately felt a bit guilty after thinking that last thought, considering that they were seeking out Ruby's parents at this point. Nonetheless, his point was quite correct. The time to catch a fast mammal was when it was trapped in a tunnel of its own creation, not when it had a full range of motion.

Cera was not aware of this fault in her strategy and continued to chase the mammal through the hip-high grass. If she wasn't within a muzzle-length of the prey she surely would have lost its trail, but she was dedicated to her task and did not let up. She was slowly, but surely, catching up to the small rodent. She only needed a bit more time...

The small mammal knew that its time was up as it began to tire. As it felt the air of the predator's breath collide with its back, it panic became too great to suppress. Now blinded by fear and not even having the miniscule intellect of its species to call upon, the rodent's actions were entirely overridden by its instincts. Accordingly, it gave the instinctual call to warn others of its kind of imminent danger.

**Squeal!**

Hearing the death scream of the small rodent made something within Cera feel triumphant. _Now I've got you!_ She told herself as she prepared to bite down on her prey. Unfortunately for her, she did not realize that sometimes prey could do amazing things when they had nothing left to lose.

**Crack!**

"Ahhh!" Cera screamed. She had been successful in her drive to kill the small mammal as her bite had snapped its small neck. However, the small mammal had struck out at the last moment and bit down upon the lower lip of Cera's muzzle. As a result, she was left with a bleeding would on her mouth to go along with her dead quarry. The ground fuzzy had gotten posthumous revenge.

"That damn fuzzball!" Cera raged as she stomped upon the dead mammal. Her anger boiled over as the small rodent had prevented her from obtaining a clean victory. _Why couldn't the damn fuzzy die like good food should?_ She thought to herself. In her anger she was not aware of the hypocrisy of her thoughts. Would she have simply stopped running and die back when she was a leaf-eater? No. Her experience as a sharptooth had begun to change her perspective from that of her leaf-eater days. In her current state it was almost as if she had never been a leaf-eater to begin with.

"What's wrong, Cera? ...Oh!" Chomper interjected as he discovered her injury. It seemed that the small rodent had exacted painful revenge upon its killer.

"The damn thing bit me!" She yelled in her anger.

Chomper remained calm as he had suffered such an injury before. Obviously the prey doesn't always go calmly into the realm of death. He had been bitten a by ground slider (lizard) before and the injury had hurt greatly. He had learned first-hand from his mother how to react to such an injury and he now realized, with some regret, that he would have to impart that knowledge to Cera. The injury was not the main problem, but infection was.

"You need to get to the water, Cera!" Chomper replied.

"I am fine! I will get over it." Cera retorted as she tried to put on a strong front despite her injury. The injury hurt, but the damage to her pride was much greater. If you had told her several days ago that she would measure her self-worth on the basis of her skills as a hunter she would have looked upon you with either horror or confusion. Now however, it meant as much to her fast biter self as ramming skills mattered to her when she was a threehorn. The injury was a great embarrassment to her.

"Cera, you need to clean the bite." As Cera glared at Chomper, he held his ground. "Otherwise you could get sick! Their teeth carry sickness!"

Cera continued to glare for a few moments, but then relented. She was acting petulant and she knew it. If she were to get an infection then it would benefit no one. She needed to clean the injury as Chomper requested. Perhaps she could regain her composure afterwards.

"Alright. I will be back!" She then began to rush towards the river.

Chomper was relieved that she was accepting the reality of the situation without much fuss. She was nowhere near as cantankerous as she was during the hunger madness. He decided that he should give her an excuse to take her time.

"I can hunt a few on my own. Take your time!" Chomper replied.

Cera gave a weak hmph, but her heart wasn't into it. With an injured mouth, and an even more injured ego, the young fast biter walked back to the river.

Neither of them saw the pair of eyes that was watching them from a nearby hill...

...

"Oh! What was me thinking!"

Petrie was beginning to question his decision to hunt alone. The decision had come suddenly to him and he had spoken without giving it much thought. This was a curious change from how his instincts normally channeled his thoughts in a logical fashion. What had changed? Both his sudden decision and his current predicament filled the young flyer with confusion.

"Me will go hungry!"

Petrie had been having dreams for the previous two nights, ever since their first true hunt. In those dreams he had been soaring fearlessly far up in the sky. Not even the sky puffies caused his any distress. He was the master of the skies. The sudden bringer of death. The dream always ended the same way. He would see very slight movement in the ground below and he would suddenly fold up his wings and go into a high-speed dive, with his claws extended. He would get closer and closer to the hapless prey until finally...

He would wake up.

Petrie was confused by these dreams. If he attempted such a hunt, would he catch his prey or would he miss and crash into the ground, surely killing him? The type of hunting that seemed to be recommended to him by his dreams filled him with dread. He had no experience with flying in such a manner and any miscalculation on his part would mean certain death. If he found a ground fuzzy should he even take the chance? Furthermore, if he did take such a chance, should he rely on instinct or his thoughts? He certainly wouldn't have enough time or practice to reconcile the two before any hunt. He had to learn this alone.

Putting aside his thoughts for a moment, the flyer took stock of his surroundings.

He was high above the floodplain where the pack was hunting their early afternoon meals. His majestic perspective of the area extended for miles in each direction. The transformation had taken his leaf-eater diet, but it had taken the glorious gift of flight from the flyer. From his vantage point, he could clearly see Littlefoot and Ruby preparing for another hunt. The brown fast biter was searching the ground with his ears towards the surface. _Trying to find ground fuzzies._ Petrie deduced. Ruby on the other hand was watching Littlefoot closely with her claws held firmly on the ground. _And Ruby find hole. They doing well._ Petrie concluded.

Looking some distance away, he could see Ducky and Spike each trying to search for ground fuzzy burrows. The ground fuzzies were not quite as common as the pack had originally hoped. _Or maybe they too spread out._ Petrie deduced. Either way, the pack would still be hungry at their current rate of success. Petrie did not like the probable consequences of highly suspected that Ruby's parents would not approve of hungry fast biters suddenly stopping by uninvited.

Finally he took a look at the river itself and saw that Cera was cleaning her muzzle. This perplexed Petrie. _Is Cera already full?_ Taking a look over, he could see that Chomper was hunting alone. No, she not full, otherwise Chomper would also be full. Cera was bigger than Chomper and thus if the hunt was successful enough to satisfy her, then it would also be enough to satisfy Chomper. He decided to put that situation out of his mind. He figured if it was something important then he would hear about it eventually.

Putting the rest of the pack out of his attention for a moment, he decided to examine the area in more detail. Grass extended for around a mile from the river, which had apparently overflowed recently. That would explain the lack of ground fuzzies, they had just recently relocated after the flood waters had receded. This was an unfortunate stroke of misfortune for the pack. Looking around further, he could see several hills some distance away to the south of the river. Unfortunately, the tall grass prevented him from getting a good look at any ground fuzzies that were in that area. _It be good place to stage ambush._ Some part of Petrie's mind deduced. _But no dinosaurs here to kill._ He thought morosely.

Suddenly his glum thoughts were interrupted by sudden movement in the grass below.

_Is that ground fuzzy?_

Several hundred feet below him, the grass began to shift in the opposite direction of the wind. Any other creature would have missed the miniscule sign, even a fast biter who was very close at hand, but not a sharptooth flyer like Petrie. He lacked the superior smell of his friends, but he did have an excellent sense of visions and right now that was showing him one thing.

_Me find dinner!_

Hovering briefly in the sky, he considered his options. He could try to guide his flight and catch the small ground fuzzy as had been implied in his dream, or else he could attempt to let his instincts take control. Thinking hard, he decided finally to let both play their role. Just because one had good instincts, that didn't mean that they would work on their own. He always had the instinct to fly, for example, but look how long it took him to actually get around to doing it. _Yes._ He resolved. _Me fly down and listen to instincts along the way!_

With grim resolve, Petrie folded his wings to his body and aimed at the ground with his head. He had to be aerodynamic and build up as much speed as possible. He couldn't let the food get away! The only warning it should have is the burning pain of his claws impaling its back. As he did this maneuver, he began to fall like a boulder. The grass and his friends seemed to get much larger very quickly as he built up speed. _Steady... Steady..._ He encouraged himself as he was filled with an odd mixture of fear and excited anticipation. He had to make this count! He couldn't back out now.

He now couldn't hear anything over the roar of the air against his body. It sounded like the roar of an earthshake or a rock fall, but this was all of his doing. He was almost there. He could now see the whites of the small mammal's eyes even though Petrie was still over a hundred feet in the air. The prey was unaware of its coming demise. _Get claws ready!_ Petrie obeyed the instinctual drive without question. It just felt right. It was time to prepare for the kill.

At about two seconds from impact, Petrie could see the small mammal look up at its killer. It had seen him, but it was far too late. His reflexes as a flyer were far superior to anything mammalian evolution had provided. He would strike the vermin dead before he had time to react. Finally, knowing that this was the time, Petrie felt an undeniable urge to extend his wings and strike out. He obeyed without question.

**Shluk!**

The ground fuzzy didn't even have a chance to cry out as Petrie impaled it upon his mighty talons. With a flurry of movement, Petrie barely averted the ground and took off slowly with his dead cargo in tow. He had done it! He had successfully hunted alone. Noting the size of his catch in comparison to himself, Petrie concluded he could easily feed himself in this terrain without the need to eat dinosaurs. He could still help his land-bound friends, but he was no longer entirely dependent upon them. Felling exuberant in his success, he gave a triumphant call.

**Caw!**

...

Cera heard the loud call as Petrie slowly rose into the air. For reasons she could not quite determine, she knew it was a victory call.

"Gee, good for you." She muttered to herself. Although she had cleaned her wound and the bleeding had long since stopped, she was still embarrassed over her own mishap and didn't want to hear anyone else revel in their glory. It was in this depressed state that she was interrupted by an unwelcome guest.

"Hmm... Seems like someone is having a bad day."

Cera turned at the sudden exclamation and was surprised by what she saw.

In front of her was an orange fast biter with black stripes. His crest and limbs all lacked feathers, as that was a trait of his particular subspecies. _One of Screech's and Thud's kind._ Some part of Cera's mind deduced. He appeared to be about her age, probably a bit older, and he had a noticeable scar on his leg from a previous injury. His demeanor gave no hint of hostility or malice, but nonetheless Cera was very cautious. This was a real born and raised fast biter that had tracked her down. What were his intentions? Did he simply want to drink from the river, or did he want to start trouble? She did not know the finer points of fast biter etiquette so she had to be careful here.

"What if I am?" She spoke defiantly. To put it mildly, Cera was not the best diplomat.

The male fast biter laughed heartedly at Cera's brashness. She obviously was not one for pointless pleasantries. He actually found that trait somewhat endearing.

"Oh... Nothing!" He smirked as he answered in a nonchalant fashion. "It was just kind of obvious, you know. It is never good luck to be bitten by prey like that, especially something as small as a ground fuzzy."

"Why, you!" Cera sputtered. Was this fast biter trying to start a fight? She had half a mind to alert her pack to the fact that they had company, but that would show weakness. For reasons unknown to Cera, she knew that she had to hold her own in this conversation.

"If you think you can do any better than show me!"

The fast biter's grin grew even larger. _This one certainly is full of himself, isn't he?_ Cera thought, not aware of the irony of her making that observation.

"Well, I could... but as you see there aren't many ground fuzzies over here." He shrugged in fake disinterest. "As you saw, for every bite of them you took, they took a bite out of you."

Cera was livid. "Why you!"

"Now... Now..." He began, being careful not to push the cantankerous fast biter too much. "Is that any way to behave to someone who is trying to help you?"

"Help me!" Cera responded angrily. "All you have done is insult me since we began talking! Now go away." She then turned her back to the annoying fast biter. Apparently fast biter society was devoid of manners, she thought to herself. _Imagine that! Dinosaurs who kill for a living aren't particularly nice. Who knew?_ She thought sarcastically.

"Go away?" He then turned away in faux defeat. "Very well. I guess I will have to keep all of the food to myself."

Cera turned around again. She had taken the bait. "Food?"

The fast biter turned with the grin still firmly planted on his face. "Oh! Are you interested?"

Cera glared at the fast biter. She resolved to play along and follow this insufferable sharptooth to whatever food he had found and then alert the pack. They needed the food. If he was not as benevolent as he looked, Cera believed that she could take him on. "Just take me to the food will ya? I am not talking to you for the company!"

The fast biter laughed at that. A genuine laugh of amusement.

"I was trying to get a rise out of ya, you know? Most sharpteeth would have charged at me before now." He admitted. "You must have amazing patience."

Cera stared at the fast biter as he uttered those words. No one had ever complimented her on her patience before, as it wasn't exactly a threehorn virtue. Perhaps she was expected to be more forceful and quick to violence in sharptooth society? Much as she hated to admit it, she was not prone to actually lashing out violently. The last time she had done that before the ground fuzzy was back when she was firmly in the hunger madness. She apparently had much to learn.

"The name is Taunt. What is yours?" He asked courteously. It was the first non-teasing remark he had made to the former threehorn.

"Cera." She answered concisely. "Now about that food..."

...

"Hey, guys! Has anyone seen Cera?"

The purple little biter was quite worried. He had offered her some time to wash her injury while he hunted, but after he didn't see her for quite some time he decided to investigate. There was no sign of her! Her smell led to the river, but there it was joined by another fast biter's scent that he couldn't recognize. He couldn't tell if the other fast biter had been their recently or earlier that day as a symphony of smells greeted him at the river's edge. Nonetheless, he was concerned.

"No, Chomper. I haven't seen her. Nope nope, nope!" Ducky affirmed. "Have you, Spike?"

A grunt in the negative greeted Chomper's ears. They hadn't seen her either! He had to go get the others. They had to make sure that Cera was alright.

...

"Where are we going exactly?" Cera asked her new acquaintance. "And what food did you actually find?"

He paused for a moment. "We are going a ways up the river. You will see the food after we reach the crest of the hill."

Cera began to rush up the hill. "Then what are we waiting for? My friends and I are quite hungry."

A smile returned to his muzzle once more. "Oh, so those other ankle biters are part of your pack, eh?" He asked in a teasing voice.

Cera took on a teasing look of her own. "Well, they are certainly better company than you!"

For the second time that day, Taunt laughed in genuine amusement at this fast biter. _She certainly has some bravado._ He thought to himself. "Alright! Let's go."

The two fast biters ran up the hill as fast as their mighty legs would carry them. Cera took an early lead only to be surprised when the male ran in front of her without apparently even trying. _I will not permit him to show me up!_ She resolved. She picked up her pace and ran beside him. He looked at her with a boastful smile.

"Oh! I was wondering where you were. I thought that you said we were **running** up the hill."

Cera growled and put all of her strength into charging up the hill as full speed. The two fast biters were side by side when Cera caught site of what was over the crest of the hill.

"Whoa!"

The bloated corpse of a threehorn was clearly in view. It had obviously been dead for quite some time as nearly half of the body had been picked clean, leaving only those portions that were difficult to reach. The reminder of the flesh had begun the slow process of decomposition as the flesh had been exposed to the elements for days. The stench was almost overwhelming, but for some reason that did not deter Cera's appetite. She was a sharptooth now, after all, and carrion was a mainstay of the diet.

"Yeah... My pack took this down the other day." Taunt remarked as if it wasn't an accomplishment worth mentioning.

Cera looked at him for a moment. _His pack must be very strong to take down a full-grown threehorn._ She thought to herself. _Why did I follow him like I did? If his pack wants to get rid of me they certainly can now... and no one would know._ Her expression actually took on a slight overtone of fear. The change was almost imperceptible, but the change in her scent was detected by Taunt immediately.

_Good, she's afraid._ He thought to himself. _We need to get these ankle biters out of our territory._ As Taunt's leader had known for quite some time, a show of strength was sometimes as effective as a feigned or actual attack. The victory without a battle was better than the battle without a victory. He would show this pack a small kindness by giving them food and hope that they took the hint and departed right after. That was the plan anyway.

"That is impressive..." She remarked, still stunned by the sight. "Do you... get ones this big often?"

Taunt nodded. "Yeah, there are always large leaf-eaters going through **our** territory." He added the emphasis as discretely as possible, but it was still there for all to hear.

Cera swallowed. "Ah, that's nice." She paused for a moment, wanting to choose her next words carefully. "My pack was on its way to Hanging Rock."

Taunt took on a noticeably relieved expression. He actually rather liked this girl's spirited attitude and he would have hated to engage her pack in a battle for territory. Luckily, it seemed that force would not be necessary.

"Cera! Where are you?" Littlefoot's voice echoed through the floodplain.

Taunt turned in his tracks. _Damn! The rest of her pack is coming! What if they are not as reasonable?_ He knew full well that a pack leader would not look kindly on another pack member being intimidated like this. If he was outnumbered then they could overwhelm him and use him as a bargaining tool with his pack. That was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. With Cera distracted, he took his chance and ran away.

"Over here!" Cera called. "I am with another..." She stopped as she saw that the other fast biter had departed. She could see his retreating form fleeing down the hill below. _I guess he wasn't as fearless as he acted._ She noted.

"Cera? What are you doing?" Chomper began as he walked up the crest of the hill. We were worried... Wow!" He had seen the sight that had stopped Cera in her tracks mere moments before.

Cera smiled. If that insufferable male wasn't going to stick around then why should she let him share in the credit? "Looks like I found dinner!"

The gang reunited joyfully with Cera as they began to partake of a surprise respite to their hunger.

...

Meanwhile, nearly a mile away from the pack, Taunt was addressing his leader. The pack leader was not much older than Taunt, his entire pack being made up of other juveniles. His greenish-blue coloration set him apart from his orange subordinate.

"...and then I told her that we killed the threehorn." Taunt had just finished his report.

The leader smiled. "Ah, nice. They will think of us being mightier than we actually are." The threehorn had actually died of sickness several days before, but the rival pack didn't need to be told that. He nodded in appreciation of Taunt's resourceful thinking. "I take it that dissuaded them from staying?"

"Yeah, she insists that they are simply walking through. Their destination is Hanging Rock, apparently."

The leader laughed. "Hanging Rock? Well, I guess it is a good thing we gave them some food then!" He continued to chuckle as Taunt joined in the merriment. "I hope they don't expect to find any peace there, with Red Claw and all."

Taunt stopped laughing as his cheerfulness was ended in an instant. Red Claw and his henchmen was a sore subject for the orange fast biter. He then spoke "Or my father."

The leader paused at his subordinate's statement. "You have to let it go, Taunt. You can't blame yourself for Thud's mistakes. You are not your father."

Taunt didn't reply.

The leader sighed. "We should head back to the rest of the pack. They will be relieved that the invaders are not staying." He then looked back in the direction where Littlefoot's pack resided. "We could have evicted them easy enough, but it is always nice to avoid such pleasantries."

Their mission completed, the two fast biters went off to be with the remainder of their pack.

...

"So... His name was Taunt?"

After a large meal of carrion, the pack had rested for a bit before trekking off towards Hanging Rock. Cera decided that she had better tell the others about her situation. One could never know when a rival pack could become a threat. Littlefoot was asking Cera a lot of questions about their new adversaries. He hoped that the information could come in handy later.

"Yeah. He was a jerk!" Cera replied.

Everyone laughed at that. Cera's remarks on Taunt were extremely negative, but yet she kept on bringing every question back to him. It was obvious that he had struck a nerve in the yellow fast biter.

Littlefoot smirked but couldn't restrain himself from making one snarky comment.

"Why Cera, I think that he's made quite an impression on you!"

Cera stood wide mouthed at Littlefoot's comment at her expense. The others descended in boisterous laughter.

"Don't you start, Littlefoot!" Cera retorted. "...Or I will make an impression on you!" She said that as she stomped an impression of her foot on the ground. The words themselves were a threat, but their delivery clearly indicated that they were not to be taken that way. The yellow fast biter had provided the pack with food and redeemed herself, in her mind, from her embarrassment earlier in the day. In her happier mood, her comments had little sting to them.

The joking and laughter continued for several moments until everyone settled down. They then left the territory of the rival pack and continued towards their destination.

...

Several hours later, as the bright circle began to set behind the horizon, the pack went over another hill that seemed to rise out of the expansive grassland like a whale surfacing in the ocean. That was when they saw it.

"Hanging Rock!" Ruby exclaimed. "We are almost there!"

Looking in the direction of their destination, they were surprised to see that it was now clearly visible. Hanging Rock jutted out of the rockface in the distance. They were still a day away from reaching their goal, but it was finally in sight. In their harsh journey of death and despair they had survived against all of the odds. They had no doubts that they would finally be successful.

As the pack embraced one another in joy. Each took stock of the situation in their own way.

For Littlefoot this was a vindication of sorts. Despite his flaws as a leader, and he now recognized that he had several, he had successfully led them this far. He knew that with further support from his friends that he could get them through whatever hardships lay ahead. He didn't know what his mother would have thought about this situation, but he hoped that she would have been proud.

For Cera this was a moment to reflect. She had changed so much during their week-long journey that she could barely recognize herself. She realized that the only thing that held her together was the support and, at times, forceful prodding of her friends. Regardless of what she was now, she resolved to stand with them until the end. They were together as leaf-eaters, they would remain together as sharpteeth.

For Spike this was a moment to acknowledge what he had lost, while also rejoicing in what he had retained. He had lost his appreciation of green food, he had lost his easy-going nature, and he had lost his privilege of being a kind soul. Now he was a killer who had to eat meat in order to survive. But at least he still had Ducky and his friends. He figured that as long as he had them, he wouldn't sink into despair.

For Ruby this was a moment of truth. In a mere day, she would face her parents as a changed dinosaur. As a dinosaur who had lost the luxury of being able to eat both plant and meat. Now she only hungered for flesh... She had no idea how her parents would react, or her siblings for that matter. Even if they reacted positively, they probably wouldn't be able to offer much help.

She took a look at her friends. Even if they were beyond help now, at least they still had one another. They had survived being chased by the Great Valley's adults in their catastrophic escape from the valley. They had survived being chased by the most terrible predators in the Mysterious Beyond. They had survived hunger and the horror of killing a leaf-eater in the hunt. They had survived much and Ruby knew that they could survive much more as long as they stuck together. Never mind how broken they were individually, she knew that if they stayed together they would never fall apart.

They have no idea what the next day may bring, but they knew that they would face it together. They were one gang... One pack. And nothing would ever separate them.

**End of Act 1**

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******Thanks for the reviews, everyone!**

**Littlefootxcera:** Thanks for the review. To answer your question this story is currently planned to be about 73 chapters in length. We have only finished the first act out of a four act storyline.

**********RichardTerminator:** Indeed, the once fearsome trio has separated and now new alliances will have to be forged. This will be a major plot point much later on in the story.

**gordhanx:** Yes, the Screech and Thud plot angle is going to get quite important later on. One particular facet of it was revealed in this chapter, as a matter of fact.

**Guest:** Thanks for the kind words! To answer your question, Petrie is a _Cearadactylus atrox_.

**The next chapter, the first chapter of Act 2, should be posted sometime this week. I look forward to your feedback!**


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